Only Time Will Tell
by DaeunMalfoy1989
Summary: Draco and Hermione come together finding redemption and hope within each other. A veela love story set after the war in Hermione and Draco's final year.
1. Chapter 1

Hi All,

This is my very first fanfic. I have been reading Harry Potter fanfiction, specifically Hermione centric fanfiction, for close to 2 years now. So, I am excited to add to the ever growing collection with my own creation. I would appreciate any feed back you have. I hope you enjoy!

-DaeunMalfoy1989

*I do not own any part of the Harry Potter Universe or its characters. That esteemed honor belongs to the beautiful J.K. Rowling.*

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Chapter One: A New Beginning

The train's whistle pierced the air. As the engine roared to life, children stuck their heads out of windows waving their last goodbyes and parents waved sadly from the platform as the Hogwarts Expressed chugged away, heading off to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To many it was the start of a new era; a time free from dark wizards, fear, and death. Harry Potter had defeated Tom Riddle and the name Voldemort no longer struck fear in the hearts of the masses. The wizarding world was finally free.

But for some, like Hermione Granger, her time spent in the war was not easily forgotten. Harry and Ron seemed to be moving on seamlessly with lives. Happy. Forgetting did not come as easily to her. There were many nights when she woke covered in sweat, tears streaming down her face as the cold tendrils of fear gripped its tentacles around her heart. She tried talking to her best friends but they would always tell her that she had nothing to fear anymore. That they were safe. She knew that but even so her time spent in Malfoy Manor had left its mark on her.

As she sat in her compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express, she found it hard to join in the merriment around her; she felt like an outsider on the periphery looking in. She looked at the faces of each of her friends in turn and smiled. Harry and Ron sat across from her engaged in an ongoing conversation on Quidditch. At the moment, they seemed to be listing why the Chudley Cannons were the best team to ever grace the league. She rolled her eyes and glanced next to her at Ginny and Luna. Luna was regaling Ginny with her trip to the Scottish countryside to find some new creature that was bound to have some wacky name. Ginny, to her credit, seemed to be trying her hardest to pay attention and offer the appropriate responses.

Hermione was happy that her friends had all decided to join her for their last year at Hogwarts. Kingsley Shacklebolt had been appointed the new Minister of Magic and as such gave them the choice to forgo their last year and let them sit their N.E.W.T.S early. He, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, knew first hand what both her and Ron had done for the magical community, as Harry's role spoke for itself. But Hermione felt like she needed some normalcy. She had missed her last year due to the hunt for horcruxes. Although she knew she could take her N.E.W.T.S now and pass, she needed to be back at Hogwarts. It was her home and she needed to be encased in the comfort of its walls. She touched her right arm almost habitually. She couldn't feel the scar Bellatrix had left on her arm but she still knew it was there, hidden underneath her clothes. Sometimes, she would spend hours staring at the ugly, twisted lines that would forever mark her as a mudblood. She was the only one that carried a physical reminder of the war, the only one that would never be able to forget.

Sighing, she looked at her wristwatch. It was time for her to meet with the prefects. As Head Girl, she was in charge keeping her junior prefects in line along with the Head Boy. When she found out about her status as Head Girl, she thought she would be happier. This is what she had wanted since she had read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_. But for some reason she couldn't seem to conjure up the feeling to care. It all just seemed so perfunctory to her now. Ron and Ginny had made prefect alongside her. Harry had been offered the role of Head Boy but he turned it down citing the need to feel like a normal student. What Harry didn't understand was that they would never be normal. He would always be Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived-to-kill-the-darkest-wizard-of-our-time, and she and Ron would always be remembered as his sidekicks, the brightest witch of her age and the loyal red head.

"It's time to go the prefects compartment," Hermione announced.

"Already," Ron whined.

"Yes, Ron. Already," Hermione said with a frown. Sometimes Ron's laziness astounded her.

"Honestly, we haven't even started yet and you're already whinging," Ginny said rolling her eyes.

"Oh, shut it," Ron said getting up from his seat, glaring at Harry as he chuckled.

Hermione lead the way out the compartment, saying her goodbyes to Harry and Luna. She saw Ginny give Harry a kiss goodbye out the corner of her eyes and felt a painful throb in her chest; their happiness seem suffocating. She and Ron had tried to give it a go after the war but they couldn't seem to make it work. He couldn't understand her pain, thinking her silly, and she couldn't understand his need to be in the spotlight. Like Harry, Hermione shied away from the reporters and adoring admirers. She wanted peace and quiet and Ron wanted fame. She couldn't begrudge him his four minutes of fame; he had spent most his childhood in the shadow of his older brothers and younger sister and his adolescent in the shadow of his best friend. All Ron ever wanted was to be acknowledge in his own right and now he was getting just that. She was happy for him but she couldn't be with him, not in that way. So, they broke amicably and now he spends his days the swinging from groupie to groupie.

"Hey, Hermione do you know who made Head Boy?" Ginny asked, walking alongside Hermione.

"No," Hermione said. " Headmistress McGonagall didn't say when she sent me my letter" Frankly, Hermione couldn't care less. She was more curious about her dorm. She was happy that she and the unknown Head Boy had a dorm to themselves. That meant no noisy, loud girls to share a room with, it meant peace. She wouldn't have to explain away her nightmares or sleepless nights. No questions she didn't have answers to. She could be alone and that was priceless. She was sure the Head Boy would be some quiet Ravenclaw, who would understand her need to keep to herself. As they reached the Prefects compartment, Hermione was struck by the silence. Usually, the compartment was so rowdy it took the Head Boy and Girl a moment to calm everyone down before they could begin the briefing. But today, however, it was completely silent. Maybe, they were the first to arrive.

She slid back the door and saw it filled with people all staring awkwardly at a platinum blonde man, sitting in the window seat staring at the landscape; the pin on his robes marking him as Head Boy.

"Why are two just standing there gaping?" Ron said, as he pushed Ginny and Hermione out of the way to get a better look. Hermione stumbled catching herself on the doorframe.

"Malfoy," she heard Ron growl.

"Weasel," Malfoy replied in his deep dulcet tone, as he turned his head to face the redhead.

Hermione could feel her heart speeding up; she couldn't breathe. _Why?,_ she thought. _Why is Draco Malfoy Head Boy?!_

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I plan for this to be a decent length fic. Hopefully, no more than 15 chapters. I look forward to your reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

Hi All,

I am updating so quickly because I want to get this story moving as fast as possible. The first four chapters are probably going to uploaded within the next week or so. Then after that I am going to set a slower pace for myself; I am still in school after all and my thesis is currently kicking my ass. So, without further ado, enjoy!

*I do not own Harry Potter in any way shape or form. J.K. Rowling is the mastermind behind this wonderful universe*

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Chapter 2: A Formidable Pair

"Malfoy"

Draco heard someone say his name with such angry intensity it could only be one of two people, the-boy-who-lived-to-fuck-up-my-life or his sidekick weasel dick. Sighing, he turned his head, wishing for the silence that had permeated the compartment before he heard the door slide open.

 _Of course,_ Draco thought. "Weasel," he replied in kind.

Draco was tired of the angry glares and the whispers that followed him. The esteemed House of Malfoy was now the disgraced House of Malfoy. Fallen from grace, Draco spent his time after the war drowning his sorrows in drink. With his father in prison and his mother confined to her room, wallowing each day away in tears, he was happy to get away if only for a couple of days. So, he was happy when his letter finally arrived to return to Hogwarts for his last year. Frankly, he was surprised he had even received a letter after what he done his sixth year. But McGonagall was a forgiving woman and he was happy to be able to return. The Head Boy badge that fell from the envelope, however, had Draco thinking the old crone was mad as a hatter if she thought he would make a good Head Boy. He wanted quiet for his last year; he wanted to finish out his schooling and take over as head of the House of Malfoy with little fuss. That, it seemed, would not be granted to him. McGonagall wanted to repair house relations in the coming school year and she thought Draco would be the perfect one to do so. If that wasn't mental, he didn't know what was. The redhead currently pointing an angry finger in his direction seemed to prove him right.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Weasley practically screamed at him.

"Sharp as ever I see, Weaselbee," Draco replied drolly. He honestly just wanted to be left alone but that obviously was not to be the case. What he needed was large dram of Ogden's Finest.

"Hermione! Are you okay?" Draco heard the Weaslette call from behind Ron, who was breathing heavily, anger shining in his eyes.

"You've got some nerve returning after what you did. You should be locked up in Azkaban with 'Daddy'."

Draco ignored the idiot du jour and focused his attention on the bushy haired girl behind him being comforted by youngest Weasley. She seemed to be having some sort of panic attack, fear stark in her eyes. Draco recognized that look, he'd seen it a thousand times under the rule of the Dark Lord, in his house, under his own wand. Her eyes darted around the room never truly focusing on anything, her chest heaved up and down as she tried to take big gulps of air but never truly seeming to be able to breathe. Guilt hit him so acutely in his chest it caught him off guard.

"I'm talking to you, Malfoy," Ron yelled across the compartment.

"Maybe...," Draco said dragging his eyes back to the wanker, who stood yelling at him. "You should focus your attentions on your girlfriend, Weasley. Looks like she might keel over at any moment, not that it would bother me much considering I won't have to listen to her swotty lecture anytime soon."

"What are you on about?" Ron said confused, right before he looked behind him. "Hermione!" he called, out as he rushed to her side.

Draco shook his head. _Dumb as ever,_ he thought. He was about to turn back to the window when his eyes locked on Granger's. She was staring right at him. Amongst, the chaos of her friends and everyone else in the compartment trying to calm her, she held his gaze. He felt trapped; he couldn't drag his eyes away from her. As they stayed there, locked in time, he couldn't help but notice how much she'd changed since he last saw her. The last time he had ever laid eyes on Hermione Granger, she stood defiantly on the side of the light, standing against the Dark Lord. She was brave where he could not be. That only added to his self loathing. This muggleborn witch stood up to the darkest wizard of the time and he couldn't. Now to see her, with dark circles under her eyes like she hadn't slept in months, skinnier than he remembered her being, her robes dwarfing her small body, and cold fear in her eyes, it was unsettlingly. She was a shadow of who used to be and that hurt him more than he thought it could. Why did he care?

Granger finally seemed to be calming down but not before everyone noticed they had been staring at one another. Draco, finally able to tear his eyes from Granger's, looked around the compartment. Everyone's gaze kept switching from him to Granger, curious expressions on their faces. Weasley seemed to be the only one staring at him in anger, unsurprisingly. Fed up, he let go of Granger, as she was now able to support herself, and rushed over to Draco, grabbing him up by the collar of his shirt.

"What did you do to Hermione?" he screamed more than asked.

Draco just stared at him, opting not to answer. He did nothing to Granger but the moment they shared left him just as confused as everyone else.

"Let him go, Weasley," Draco heard Blaise Zabini say from his left.

"I don't think I will," The Redhead said, gripping Draco's collar tighter, raising a fist to strike Draco.

Blaise immediately trained his wand to the redhead's neck. "I wouldn't if I were you, Weasley."

Draco looked over Weasley's shoulder and straight into the eyes of Granger. He raised one eyebrow at Hermione and jerked his head slightly towards Ron, silently asking her if she was going to stand by and do nothing. She was always one for upholding justice and taking on unfortunate souls. But she just stood there avoiding his steady gaze. Where had her fight gone?

Draco sighed.

"Common sense seems to have failed you yet again. It's a wonder you're able to dress yourself in the morning, Weaselbee," Draco said finally. "30 points from Gryffindor for assaulting another student," Draco smirked, as he pushed Weasley of his person.

"You can't take points from another prefect, you idiot. Only the Head Boy and Girl can do that. Nice try, Malfoy," Ron said shaking his head like Draco has said the most ludicrous thing he'd ever heard.

"Slow on the pick up as every, Weasley," Pansy Parkinson sneered from her seat.

"What are you talking about," Ron asked, confused.

Before anyone could say another word, Granger's voice rang across the compartment.

"Malfoy _is_ Head Boy, Ron. You just assaulted the Head Boy," she said, looking down at her feet.

"What… but… that can't be right!" Ron shouted.

"Yes, well … the badge on his chest would indicate otherwise," Granger said, wearily. "Sit down, Ron. We are behind as it is and Malfoy and I have to get the meeting going."

Weasley look dumbfoundedly around at everyone in the cabin like they had all gone mad. When he saw no one speaking out and was on the receiving end of an irritated glare from his sister, Ron angrily plopped himself down on the seat farthest from Draco and crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child.

Granger moved to stand in the middle of the compartment, giving the Weaslette a small smile. She then stared at Draco, waiting for him to move to his place by her side. When he didn't, she sighed and shook her head.

"Alright," Granger said. "Shall we begin?"

Draco sat back down next the window content to let Granger take control. He closed his eyes as her voice faded into the background.

oooooooo

Hogwarts had slowly been pieced back together after the war and returned to its former glory. As always, walking into the Great Hall brought a great sense of awe to Draco, the ceiling shining so brightly with stars. It felt like coming home. He sat down at the Slytherin table and ran his hands along the wood. It felt solid, comforting.

"It's good to be back, mate," Blaise said sitting to his right.

Draco just nodded in response.

Pansy sat down to Draco's left and Theodore Nott, whom Draco had not seen on the train, sat down on the other side of the table directly across from Blaise.

"You missed it, Theo," Blaise said, chuckling to himself. "Weasley lost his head when he found out Draco was Head Boy. The look on his face was priceless, mate."

"Damn, you lot get to have all the fun while I'm stuck in the back trying to dodge Astoria Greengrass. One Knut short of a Galleon, that one."

"Aww, trouble in paradise, Theo," Pansy giggled. "This summer you seemed head over heals in love with the her?"

"More like head over heals in lust," Blaise said under his breath.

Draco snorted at that. From what Blaise and Pansy had told him, Theo had spent the whole summer trying to shag Astoria. Considering Theo's attitude toward her now, he must have gotten what he wanted and now he's cast her aside like the countless other girls.

Theo glared at the three of them before looking down the table to see Astoria flash him a smile and blow a kiss.

"It was just a quick shag. I don't see why she is acting like I'm meant to marry her now," Theo said, thoroughly disgusted.

"She was a virgin, you tosser!" Pansy scream whispered across the table.

"So…" Theo said, confused.

Draco and Blaise shook their heads at their friend. Pansy just glared at him as he looked between his two best mates mouthing the word 'what?' over and over.

"If you don't know, then I can't tell you?" Pansy said in a huff. Getting up from the table, she bent down to kiss Blaise on the cheek, whispering 'see you in the common room' before going over to sit next to Astoria.

"Girls, mate" Theo said, looking dumbfounded. "They're right mental."

"Or are you just stupid," Draco said, finally joining the conversation.

Blaise burst out into laughter. Annoyed, Theo flicked his wand and a giant leg of lamb flew out of his wand and smacked Blaise in the face.

Headmistress McGonagall passed by them on her way up to the podium shaking her head. Theo and Blaise had the decency to at least look embarrassed. When she reached the top of stairs to the professor's table, she turned to face the room. The doors to the Great Hall opened and scared first years were being ushered in. Thus, the sorting ceremony began.

Draco's eyes kept wandering over to the Gryffindor table. Granger sat facing in his direction, seemingly focused on the ceremony but to a close observer it was obvious her mind was elsewhere. Draco wondered briefly what she was thinking; it must have been something serious as her brows were knitted closely together. Suddenly, Granger looked over at the Slytherin table, searching for something or someone. Draco looked up and down his table to see what or who she might be searching for. When he looked back, her eyes rested on him. She looked quickly away and back up at the small child seated on the stool, the sorting hat sitting drolly on his head.

 _Interesting,_ Draco thought. _Why was she looking at_ me _?_

The Headmistress cleared her throat, garnering the attention of the entire hall.

"First, I would like to give the customary warning. The Forbidden Forest is just that Forbidden. Any student caught attempting to enter into its depths will receive detention as well as a reduction in house points. Now I would like to offer my congratulations to all first years. I hope you come to see the house you have been sorted into as a family, of sorts, and Hogwarts your home away from home. I would like to take the time to reflect on this past year, to remember all those lost and all those found. I want this year to be a year of unity; we as a community have grown in the face of destruction. I want you all to leave past prejudices behind and start new with fresh eyes. In keeping with this theme, I want to introduce you all to our Head Boy and Girl for this year- Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. I expect they will make a formidable team."

The silence that settled over the Great Hall was almost palpable. Every eye in the room seemed to rest solely on Draco. He sat with his head held up high, trying to appear as if he wasn't bothered by the attention. He kept his face blank.

Blaise leaned over and whispered, "Good luck, mate. By the looks of it, you'll need it."

Dread settled like a brick in Draco's stomach. This was not going to be an easy year.

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I have received my first set of reviews and they made me very happy. I look forward to seeing more. Please, review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Strange Happenings

Hermione had to listen to Ron go on about Malfoy the whole carriage ride up to the castle. Surprisingly, Harry was a voice of reason.

"Let it go, Ron," Harry pleaded.

"Why are you so calm, Harry? This is Malfoy we're talkin' about," Ron said with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Because, Ron, the war is over and I am tired of fighting. From what both you and Hermione said, and I trust Hermione's version a bit better than yours, you are the one that started with Malfoy," Harry said.

Hermione was confused; she didn't know what to feel. After seeing Malfoy for the first time since the final battle, she was more than a little shaken. She thought school would help her to move past her time at Malfoy Manor. Apparently, she had thought wrong. When she saw Malfoy on the train, it all came rushing back to her, she could her Bellatrix's cackling screech of a laugh, she could see Malfoy and his parents staring down at her while she was brutally tortured and mutilated. She knew rationally that the Malfoy's had their hands tied, she knew they could not have helped her and lived to see another day, but it still hurt none the less. They just watched as that jumped up bitch carved up her arm. Strangely, while Bellatrix was torturing her, Hermione had kept her eyes on Malfoy. At first, it was to silently beg him for help, pleading with her eyes. But then it was almost as if by keeping him in her line of sight, he grounded her, kept her from slipping into the madness that threatened her with every _Crucio_ Bellatrix threw at her. Malfoy, for all that he was, never looked away from her, even when his parents had turned away disgusted, he stayed.

"Malfoy is Head Boy. Head. Boy!" Ron said, mildly crazed, breaking Hermione from her thoughts.

"Bloody Hell, Ron," Ginny exclaimed throwing her arms in the air, exasperated. "Get over it. Malfoy is Head Boy, we know. What do you want us to do about it?"

Ron looked at them all in turn, mouth open.

"Personally, I think it's wonderful Draco made Head Boy. Don't you Hermione?" Luna said, with such an airy tone Hermione almost missed her words.

Everyone turned to look at Luna then Hermione.

"And you lot think I'm the mad one here?" Ron said.

Hermione glared at him before responding to Luna's question. "I trust the Headmistress' decision. I am sure she had her reasons"

"Hmm… that's not what I asked though, is it? I asked if _you_ think it's wonderful that Draco made Head Boy," Luna said, quirking her head to the side.

Hermione squirmed in her seat, feeling extremely uncomfortable with Luna's gaze. Luna always had this way of looking at you that made you think her brain wasn't as foggy as she made you believe, like she could see all that you kept hidden from the world. It had always unnerved Hermione when Luna turned her gaze on her.

"Oh… I… well, I," Hermione stumbled over her words. What was she supposed to say? She knew she wasn't happy over the idea. For all intents and purposes, she would be sharing a dorm with Malfoy this year. She was sure her nightmares would only get worse. But she didn't feel comfortable saying so. Hermione had an odd feeling that Luna knew something she didn't and wasn't ready to hear what that was. Fortunately, before she could finish her sentence the carriage had come to a stop. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hermione rushed off the carriage and hurriedly followed the mass heading up the steps toward the Great Hall.

Unfortunately, when she sat down at the Gryffindor table, she noticed she sat almost directly across from Malfoy and his group of friends. Even from two tables away, it was hard to miss that shock of white blond hair. He stood out in a crowd. Hermione could hear her friends talking around her but she couldn't break her focus from Malfoy. She stared at him, frowning as she realised that Malfoy seemed different. Usually, Malfoy was the center of his group, vying for their attention, mouth running non-stop. But this year, he seemed detached. She watched as Nott and Zabini joked and laughed around him but he was barely paying attention. It struck her as odd. Maybe, he had matured. War does that to a person. She knew better than anyone.

Professor McGonagall walked through the doors and smiled at Hermione when she caught her eye. Hermione felt a genuine smile spread over her face. Minerva had taken Hermione in after the war; the professor had become a surrogate Mother to her. After, the war ended Hermione went to Australia with Minerva and a ministry official, who specialised in memory charms, to restore her parents memory but the damage was already done. The official told her that because of the way she performed the spell, the charm could not be undone. Hermione had cried for days, her chest aching with a pain that had yet to subside. She had lost her family and now she was all alone.

By that time, her relationship with Ron had just ended and she felt awkward around the Weasleys, especially Mrs. Weasley, who had wanted the relationship to work and still tried to push Ron and Hermione together, maintaining the idea that her and Ron were just going through a "rough patch". The Weasleys were also trying to cope with the loss of Fred, George especially. It felt wrong intruding on their time together. So, it was with great relief that Hermione accepted Minerva's invitation to stay with her in her home in Scotland. They became close over the summer; Hermione trusted Minerva above all else. Minerva was the only person that knew of Hermione's nightmares and the reason behind them. So, Hermione could only trust in her decision to make Malfoy Head Boy. She knew Minerva would never hurt her.

The sorting ceremony had begun. No matter how hard Hermione tried to focus on the tiny first years being sorted into each house, she found her eyes wander back to Malfoy. Annoyingly, she found herself thinking him attractive. He was taller than ever, although he was sitting down now, she noted it on the train when Ron had grabbed him by the collar. Ron was not short by any measure; he now stood 6"2 and Malfoy had been head to head with him. His hair was rather short; he usually wore it long enough to at least touch his ears. Now, it was cut short almost to his scalp. It looked nice on him, made him look older. His grayish blue eyes stood in stark contrast to his dark eyelashes, which seemed odd considering how light his hair and eyebrows were, but it fit him. When those gray- blue eyes turned to look at her, Hermione felt her heart stop for a moment before she quickly looked away. The ceremony was almost over, the last child had stepped up to the stool and the sorting hat placed upon her head. Why had she been staring at him for so long? She chanced a glance back at him and saw him scanning his table, looking for someone, maybe. Then he looked back at her and she looked away again.

 _Stop looking at him, you idiot,_ Hermione thought to herself.

The Headmistress cleared her throat and began to speak.

"First, I would like to give the customary warning. The Forbidden Forest is just that Forbidden. Any student caught attempting to enter into its depths will receive detention as well as a reduction in house points."

"You know, now that I think on it. Haven't we gone into the Forbidden Forest almost every year since first year?" Harry whispered to her.

Hermione shrugged, turning back to the Headmistress.

"Now I would like to offer my congratulations to all first years. I hope you come to see the house you have been sorted into as a family, of sorts, and Hogwarts your home away from home. I would like to take the time to reflect on this past year, to remember all those lost and all those found. I want this year to be a year of unity; we as a community have grown in the face of destruction. I want you all to leave past prejudices behind and start new with fresh eyes."

"You hear that, Ron," Ginny said turning to her brother. "Fresh eyes"

"Oh, shut it. I don't care what you say. Malfoy is bad news"

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back around in her seat.

"In keeping with this theme, I want to introduce you all to our Head Boy and Girl for this year- Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. I expect they will make a formidable team."

The room went stone silent. Hermione wanted to sink into her chair and disappear as she felt eyes on her from all around the room, shifting between her and Malfoy. Harry began to clap loudly, startling everyone into action. Sporadic clapping began slowly until it became a uniform sound throughout the room.

"Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger please see me after the feast. First years, your house prefects will show you the way to your dorms when the feast has ended. Now, enjoy!"

Food suddenly appeared before them. Gasps of awe from the first years echoed throughout the room, as chatter began to fill the silence.

Hermione began filling her plate with the delicious looking roast and potatoes that sat on the table before her. She looked up at Harry and Ron to see their plates already filled and them tucking in; they ate with all the grace of a starved bear. Shaking her head, she laughed to herself. Although she enjoyed spending the majority of her summer with Minerva, she missed Harry and Ron.

"What's so funny?" Ron said through a mouthful of roast, spraying Ginny in the process.

"Eww, Ron!" Ginny exclaimed, wiping off her arm. "Close your mouth, will you."

"I missed you lot," Hermione said, still laughing. Usually, she would be lecturing Ron on proper table manners but she couldn't find it in her to do it. This felt normal; it felt right. The four of them back at Hogwarts.

"We missed you too, 'Mione," Harry said, grinning lopsidedly at her.

"Trust me, you didn't miss much. It was the usual… Ron slobbering after Fleur and the like," Ginny said

"I did not!" Ron screeched.

Harry laughed, "She's just taking the piss, Ron."

"Well, it's not funny," Ron said pouting like a child.

"I disagree," Ginny said, winking conspiratorially at Hermione. "I think it hilarious how you follow after her like a lost puppy. Do you like it when she pats you on the head 'ickle Ronniekins?"

"She does not pat me on the head!" Ron said, his face red with anger.

"She really did, mate," Harry said laughing. "She only does it to you."

"She does not!" Ron practically screamed at Harry.

"Maybe.. we should change the topic," Hermione said, sensing that Ron was about to blow based on the dangerous shade of red his face had turned.

"Okay, how about …." Ginny began, looking at Hermione mischievously. "we talk about your new living situation with a certain slytherin we all know?"

"What are you talking about?" Ron said.

"Come on, Ron, keep up," Ginny said, snapping her fingers at Ron. "Head Boy and Girl live in the same dorm. Thus, meaning Hermione and Malfoy will live in the same dorm."

"What!" Ron exclaimed, standing up from the table, causing several people to look over at them.

"Sit down, Ron," Hermione whisper-yelled at him. "It's not that big a deal." Even though she said it wasn't, she knew deep down it was. "There is nothing to talk about," she said turning back to Ginny. "Malfoy and I will be living together, so what?"

"So what?" Ginny said, her eyebrows practically raising to her hairline. "Hermione, you practically fainted on the train when you saw Malfoy. What do you mean 'It's not that big a deal'?"

"You almost fainted when you saw Malfoy? You didn't say that before," Harry said.

"No, I didn't almost faint. I just had a dizzy spell is all. No. Big. Deal," Hermione said, pinching Ginny's arm next to her.

"Ouch!" Ginny exclaimed. "Pinching me is not going to change the fact that you were acting funny on the train."

"I am fine. End of," Hermione said. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have to meet with the Headmistress and you have to start herding first years."

"Just because you say it's finished doesn't mean I won't pick this up later, Hermione," Ginny called as she walked away.

The Great Hall burst into action as people began shuffling out of the hall. Hermione walked over to the Head Table where Minerva stood waiting.

"Hi, Professor," Hermione said smiling up at Minerva.

"Hello, Hermione," Minerva said returning the smile.

Malfoy slowly made his way over to them. "Professor. Granger," he greeted.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy," Minerva replied. "Now, I asked you to meet me here because due to the remodeling the location of the Heads' dorm has changed. Follow me, please," Minerva said swiftly as began to walk out of the Great Hall, the students instinctively clearing a path for her.

Minerva lead them up to the seventh floor and they now stood in front of a painting depicting a victorian woman sitting on a rock in the middle of a meadow filled with sheep.

"The password is 'Invictus'. You can change it if you feel the need," Minerva said. "Congratulations to you both. I will leave you to the rest of you evening."

Hermione stared after Minerva, willing her to come back. She heard Malfoy say the password and turned to follow him into the common room. The fire was lit casting a warm glow upon the room. Two sofas sat framing the fireplace with a small table between them. Two doors sat to her right, each marked with a small gold plate reading either 'Head Boy' or 'Head Girl'. To her left the room opened up into a small kitchenette.

Hermione watched as Malfoy walked over to the kitchenette opening cupboard after cupboard. He then walked over to the door marked 'Head Boy', opened it and peered inside. All the while, Hermione stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure what to do with herself. She had never been alone with Malfoy before.

Malfoy came back out of his room and sat down on the sofa facing her. He stared at her for a moment, causing Hermione to fidget.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"No… I was just…," Hermione stumbled over her words.

 _What the hell is wrong with you?,_ she thought.

"This is truly a momentous occasion," Malfoy chuckled.

"What is?" Hermione asked, confused.

"The day my mere presence left Hermione Granger speechless," Malfoy said, smirking. "Not that I blame you, I am truly a sight to behold."

Hermione snorted as she rolled her eyes. "You are so full of it. It's amazing you have any room for you ego in that small deluded mind of yours."

"Deluded am I? Funny you say that when you couldn't eyes off me all through dinner."

"I was not looking at you," Hermione said, with a huff. She was lying through her teeth; she didn't think he had noticed her. Was she that obvious?

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Granger. But we both know the truth," Malfoy said, getting up from the sofa.

"Where are you going? We should start getting the prefect patrol schedules outlined for tomorrow."

"Yea… about that. I not doing schedules or anything for that matter," Malfoy said with a shrug.

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed. All traces of her nervousness was leaving her quickly and rapidly being replaced with anger.

"Look, Granger. I didn't exactly sign up for the job now did I? You've been prepping for this position since first year," Malfoy said. "So, I figure you've got it covered."

"Are you taking the piss? Your must daft if you think I can do this all on my own. Do you know how much work that leaves me with?" Hermione yelled.

"Calm down, yea. It's not that big a deal. You draft up some schedules and hold office hours. Nothing to it," Malfoy said, walking towards his room.

"The position requires more than just office hours and schedules, Malfoy. You _will_ get off your lazy arse and help me or I will-"

"What? What will you do, Granger?" Malfoy said, turning round to face her. "Tattle to the boy wonder and his pet ginger."

"I don't need Harry or Ron to fight my battles for me, Malfoy. I can fight my own. I know that's not a concept you're familiar with since you always go running to daddy."

Malfoy's face darkened and Hermione instinctively took a step backwards. She'd gone too far and she knew it. Malfoy quickly closed in on her. They were so close, she could feel the anger radiating off of him in waves. He bent his face down so that his mouth was close to her ear.

"You know nothing about me or my family. Speak of my father again and I will make sure you regret it," he said.

A shiver of fear ran up Hermione's spine. She wanted to run to the safety of her room and lock the door but she wouldn't let herself be cowed. She was tired of being scared. Tired of letting one moment define her life.

"I don't care what you say, you will do your part or I will hex you ten days from Sunday."

"I'm sorry who went and crowned you Queen? I am not easily intimidated like your idiot friends."

"I refuse to let you skive off while I do all the work!"

"I don't think you have a choice, Princess."

"Your such a sodding prat, Malfoy"

"Never said I wasn't, Granger," Malfoy sneered, before going into his room and closing the door in her face.

"Bastard."

Oooooooooooo

The next week passed with Hermione carrying the load of the Heads alone. She had to deal with homesick first years, angry prefects who were unhappy with the scheduling table she had posted, students who refused to follow curfew, and the most annoying of all- Ron. Ron, who despite all his best efforts, made the situation worse. He was constantly going on about Malfoy. The tirade that she and Harry had to endure after Malfoy missed the first prefect meeting of the year was endless. She didn't understand why Ron had such a chip on his shoulder when it came to Malfoy but it was working on her nerves. If anyone had the right, amongst the three of them, to be angry at Malfoy, it was her.

Beside the fact that he left all the Heads duties to her, he also didn't clean up after himself, he hogged the bathroom every morning, and he was just plain rude.

This morning especially had been the last straw. She had walked into their shared bath to find Malfoy half naked staring at himself in the mirror. Her sleep addled brain had been shocked awake at the sight of his taut muscles stretching over a well toned chest. His comment however made her want to punch him right in his smug face. He said, "As much as I love being ogled in the morning, Princess, would you mind sodding off." He then proceeded to slam the door in her face and use up all the hot water, soaking the entire floor and leaving all the towels soggy. And oh yes, he had taken to calling her 'princess'.

The cherry on the top of the shittiest cake ever, was her nightmares. They had only gotten worse since she had arrived at school. She thought it could be due to the stress as the sight of Malfoy no longer triggered her like it did that day on the train. Seeing Malfoy now only brought up severe annoyance and anger. Hermione was at her wits end.

"It can't be all that bad, Hermione," Ginny said, trying to cheer Hermione up.

They were sitting by the lake, watching the first years try and get the giant squid to show itself.

"You try living with him, Ginny. He literally does nothing to help with the Heads duties. Plus, he's obnoxious and rude. All we do is fight. I can't take it anymore," Hermione said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"You could tell McGonagall about him."  
"No, I can't do that. I was never one for tattling. Plus, Professor McGonagall really wanted us to get along. You heard her during her welcoming speech. 'A formidable team' and all that," Hermione said, sighing.

This year was supposed to be easy and relaxing, an escape for a year before she would have to go out into the world… alone. For one last year, she could cocoon herself amongst the walls of Hogwarts and her friends. Why did Minerva have to choose Malfoy?

"Don't let him get to you, Hermione. Malfoy is a spoiled prat, you know that. If you can get Ron and Harry off their lazy arses to study long enough to pass their O. in fifth year, than you can get Malfoy to help you with Heads duties. You just have to be a bit more creative."

"Maybe, you're right…"

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right," Ginny laughed.

Hermione rolled her eyes and gave Ginny a shove. Maybe she did need to be a little more creative.

Oooooooooooooooo

Blackmail. Plain and simple. Malfoy wouldn't take his duties seriously and she couldn't lecture him into compliance like Harry and Ron. It felt mildly extreme for her but after talking it over with Ginny it seemed like her best option. Hermione was stressed and if the only way to relieve it was to blackmail Malfoy then she would do it.

The plan her and Ginny and come up with was simple enough. Malfoy was the most vain person she knew. So, she would strike him where it hurt. Malfoy had developed a habit of napping on the sofa before dinner. She would catch him off guard and hit him with a _Petrificus Totalus_. She would then dress him up like schoolgirl before snapping off some photos. The hope was that he would be too scared of her showing the photos to everyone, especially the girls, that he would actually do his part. She had been scared of retaliation but Ginny convinced her that he would not retaliate based on that fact that she would show the photos if he did. It sort of made sense but Hermione was in no position to refuse the only plan that bought her some peace.

So, after her last class she waited in her room for Malfoy to return and take his nap. She was reading _Merpeople: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Language and Customs,_ when she heard the portrait door open. She heard Malfoy moving around before it went silent. She waited 20 minutes before she tipped toed slowly out of her bedroom and into the common room. She saw his blond hair peeking out over the back of the sofa and hoped to Merlin he didn't catch her. She walked to the front of the sofa. She slowly bent down to check that he was sleeping when suddenly, he grabbed her hand and yanked her down so that she was laying half on top of him and half off the sofa. Her heart pounded against her chest and she tried to sit up and off of him but his grip was too strong. She looked up into his face expecting to see anger but what she saw frightened her more. His eyes were no longer its normal grey-blue but a dark molten silver rimmed with the deepest and darkest black she had ever seen. His face was flush and he was breathing heavily, his eyes half open, giving her a look that made her distinctly uncomfortable.

"Malfoy, what are you doi-"

Before she could finish her sentence, he had grabbed the back of head and pushed her face down on his, kissing her fiercely. Fire spread from her lips to every part of her body. A yellow glow began emanating from their chests and extended out to encase both of them in its warm light. Hermione wanted to scream, to push Malfoy away but a larger, stronger part of her brain told her to let go, to trust. And for some strange reason she did. She let go for the first time in a long time. She didn't let her thoughts get the better of her; she just sank into Malfoy's careful ministrations. The warmth that had settled into every muscle and bone in her body felt wonderful combined with feeling of Malfoy's lips moving ever so slowly against her own. Malfoy pulled away from her after what felt like hours. He pulled her fully up onto the sofa next to him and nestled her head in the crook where his neck meets his shoulder. She curled herself around him and the next she knew she was drifting off to sleep.

Hermione woke to feeling of someone shoving her. She popped her eyes open to see the angry face of Draco Malfoy.

 _'What the fuck have you done?'_ Malfoy growled at her.

Hermione stared up at Malfoy in complete shock. She had heard what he said with complete clarity. The thing that had her guessing her sanity was that she heard him but his lips hadn't moved. She heard him in her head!

* * *

I hoped you enjoyed! I really want to know any thoughts, questions, or concerns you might have had. Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi all,

Sorry it took me so long to update but life caught up to me. I wanted to keep a steady pace of two chapters a week but I don't think that is going to happen. So, expect to see one chapter a week for now. A shout out to all those who reviewed. They made me very happy!

Sidenote: As prefaced in the last chapter, there will be some mind reading between Hermione and Draco. I tried to make it obvious when those parts occur but just for clarity. Anything in _italics_ means it is a thought.

Okay. On with the show!

-DaeunMalfoy1989

* * *

Chapter 4: The Inner Veela

Draco spent most of his time dodging Hermione after the argument they had over the Head's duties. He wanted to keep a low profile this year, just get through and pass his N.E.W.T.s. Simple. It was hard enough that no matter where he went whispers followed him. Students glaring at him, blaming him for what happened the night Dumbledore died. A not so subtle reminder of the past he couldn't out run. He would always be known as a Death Eater. Sometimes, he caught people glancing at his left arm, not that they could see anything since he kept it carefully hidden behind long sleeves, but it made sure that he never forgot who he was and what he had done for the sake of the Malfoy name and his father's quest for purity.

His father. Words could not describe how much Draco hated his father. He left him nothing but a legacy of hate and confusion. Draco never understood his father, or his grandfather for that matter. Draco's great-grandmother was less than pure, but she was 'chosen' so the family conveniently chose to write that out of their history. The men in Draco's family were all Veela. It was not a trait borne to only men but for as far back as his family lineage goes only a single boy child was borne into the Malfoy line with each new generation. His great-grandfather's inner veela claimed his wife, a muggleborn, marking her as his 'chosen'. Once she was claimed there was no going back. The family had to either accept the circumstances as they were or lose their only heir. So, begrudgingly they accepted her into the family, very meticulously wiping away all knowledge to the world outside their family of her muggleborn status. From the moment she received her wedding vows, she was the pureblood heiress Lady Malfoy. The story was passed down to Draco from his father as warning of what could happened, not that Draco understood the reasoning. It wasn't like he had a choice who his inner veela chose to be his mate. It was up to fate. If it had been up to his father, Draco would go around kissing every pureblood witch he could get his hands on until he claimed one. As far as he was concerned, his father was lucky to have claimed his mother. The one you love is not always the one chosen for you. Draco just wanted to forget his father and his expectations, to forget all the goes with being a Malfoy, to forget his part in the war. He just wanted to be normal again. It was hard enough on regular day but even more so with a pissed Head Girl chasing you down. When he wasn't dodging Granger, he spent his days up in the clock tower with a bottle of Firewhiskey he smuggled from home, drowning in his own self pity. When he felt he'd had enough, he'd go down and sleep it off on the sofa before dinner.

Today had been particularly hard. Pansy was breathing down his neck.

"I can smell it on you, you know?" she said, her hands folded across her chest.

"Smell what? I don't smell a thing," Theo said sniffing the air.

"Alcohol," Pansy said, rolling her eyes at Theo. "It's all over him. He smells like he took a bath in it."

"You know for someone so in love with her boyfriend it's a wonder pixie don't fly out of your arse, you sure do have penchant for going around sniffing other men," Draco said clearly annoyed and trying to change the topic of conversation. "What would Blaise say if he knew how much I clearly intoxicate you?"

"He would say to fuck off," Blaise smirked, turning the corner and joining the group congregated outside Draco's portrait door.

"What the hell is even happening?" Draco said. "Why are you all standing outside my common room?"

"Because!" Pansy exclaimed. "You've clearly been drinking everyday since we got here. I have yet to see you have a sober moment. You rarely attend class, if at all, and from the way I keep seeing Granger sniff you out like a bloodhound, I am pretty sure you're shirking your head's duties."

"Why don't you try minding your own fucking business for once, Pansy," Draco growled at her.

"Because I'm your friend Draco and that's what friends do."

"Well, I'm fine. I don't need you to babysit me."

"Clearly you do. Granger looks like she one more missed meeting away from going to McGonagall. You're on probation, Draco. You need to take this seriously! We all were affected by the war and we got over it. It's time you did too. Stop wallowing!" Pansy yelled, hitting Draco in the chest to emphasis her point.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Draco said, closing the gap between Pansy and himself. "You don't know shit about what I went through. You weren't there. Last I recall, you were tucked away soundly here at Hogwarts, not living with a psychopathic megalomaniac . So, why don't you fuck off and go about your merry way."

"You need to back up off my girl, mate." Blaise said angrily, pushing Draco back. "I would hate for my fist to have to connect with your face."

"Look why don't we all just calm down" Theo said, trying placate everyone.

Draco sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. "Just piss off, alright. The lot of you."

Draco said the password and entered into his common room. He wanted to scream, to just say fuck it. Everyone looked down on him. McGonagall was always on about change and forgotten prejudice but how was he supposed to show that he had changed if everyone expected the worse of him or more than he could give. There was that word again. Expectation. Why had it always sat heavy on him like a hippogriff upon his shoulders? He was one person. He only had so much he could take and right about now it felt like he was at his breaking point. He couldn't take much more before he fell over the edge he had been teetering over for months now.

He sat down on the couch, chucking his outer robes on the floor. He rolled up his sleeves so his could see the ugly scar staring back at him. Would his life forever be judge by one bad decision? By the sins of his father?

Draco laid down on the couch and covered his eyes with his arm, letting the darkness of sleep claim him as he willed himself to forget.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

 _Wake up._

 _Draco quickly sat up, disoriented. He looked around and found himself in the middle of an expansive field. Green stretched for miles out until it connected with the light blue of the sky._

' _Where am I?'_

' _You are everywhere and nowhere. We here like to call it the Between,' a soft ethereal voice whispered to him._

 _Draco stood up and scanned around him searching for the owner of the voice until his eyes settled upon a man leaning on a lone tree. His wore long white robes that pooled at his feet like water. His long white hair reaching beyond his waist. His pale face only contrasted by the greyish blue of his eyes. If it wasn't for the deepness of his voice, Draco would not have been able to distinguish him from a woman for his features were so delicate._

' _Who are you?'_

' _I am your ancestor. The creator of the line of Malfoy.'_

' _Why am I here?'_

' _To learn to see,' the man said with an eerie smile upon his face._

' _To see what?'_

 _The man began to walk toward Draco until they stood barely a foot apart. 'I have watched as my people have deteriorated into nothing. I have seen as they have fought countless wars bigoted by their own foolish ideals. I have watched your father cower before a madman, leaving his family vulnerable to extinction. I have watched you shed countless tears, confused by your own unwillingness to follow behind in your father's footsteps but not strong enough to say no. And I could bare it no longer. I was there the day you received that mark of evil that rests upon your arm-'_

' _You were there?! You were there and you stood by and did nothing?'_

' _It is not my place to change what already is. I merely act as a guide. Whether you choose to listen is up to you. Thus why you are here now. To see that this...' the man said pointing to Draco's left forearm, where the mark scarred his flesh. 'Does not define you.'_

' _I don't need your guidance.'_

' _Ah, but you do. I've come to every Malfoy heir upon the eve of his claiming. Most do not need my guidance but like your great-grandfather you, young Draco, will face much scrutiny and ridicule because of your chosen one.'_

' _I don't have a chosen one.'_

' _By the time you wake, you will.'_

' _That's not possible.' Draco could feel his heart accelerate. He wasn't ready for this, not yet, not now._

' _Most everything sits firmly in the realm of possibility, I'm afraid. You will have to be strong, Draco. The time will come when you will have to face your darkest fear. The outcome of this alone will determine whether the line of Malfoy will fall into extinction.'_

' _Why me? Why is it always me? I am tired of everything falling onto my shoulders!'_

' _Because it is your fate'_

' _Well I don't want it. You can take your fate and shove it up your arse.'_

' _As a fine young man once said, 'You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.' Were you not just a couple of hours ago asking for people to see that you are not your father, that you have changed? This is your answer. This girl your savior, if you let her.'_

' _Who is she?'_

' _That is not for me to tell.'_

' _This is bullshit. All you've done is talk riddles at me. I don't need your bloody guidance.'_

' _In time you will see what my 'riddles' truly mean. Good luck, young Draco.'_

 _Oooooooooooooooo_

Draco opened his eyes and was relieved to see the wooden beams that marked the ceiling of his common room. His relief was quickly replaced with confusion then anger as he felt something press into his side. He turned his head to see what or who it was, only to get a face full of bushy hair for his efforts. His pushed the hair out of his face to see Hermione Granger fast asleep on his shoulder. He felt a sharp need to pull her closer to him, to keep her safe. _Mine._ The word fluttered across his mind, taking root in his chest. Where the hell did that come from? He sat up shoving her away from him. Why the hell was she even on the sofa with him? As he watched her eyes open, he heard her voice sound off in his head. Random thoughts about the Weasley girl and a plan played out in his mind's eye. _How am I seeing this?_

And then realisation struck him like a ton of bricks. What did the his ancestor say? When he woke he would have already claimed his chosen one? No, this isn't happening … Granger was his chosen one?! What the fuck happened? As her eyes focused on him, anger pulsed through him.

'What the fuck have you done?' he thought to himself but she must have heard him as all pretenses of sleep left her and she stared at him, mouth hanging open.

He could hear her going over it in her mind, thinking her brain was playing tricks on her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her so that they were almost touching noses.

"This is no trick, Princess," he growled.

"How did you know-"

"Did you fucking kiss me?"

"I didn't-"

"Don't fucking lie to me?"

Granger pulled out of his grip and pushed him back, her shock wearing off and angry now the dominant emotion on her face.

"If you would shut up and stop acting like a neanderthal, I could tell you that I did not kiss you. _You_ kissed me!"

"No I bloody didn't. I was asleep until a moment ago. How could I kiss you?"

"You did. I was leaning over to check your were asleep when you pulled me down and kissed me?"

"Even if that were the case, you would have had to accept the kiss to seal the bond- hang on a minute. Why were checking to see if I were asleep?"

Granger refused to meet his eye as her face tinted red with a blush. _She's beautiful,_ he thought, disgusted with himself a second later as he realised who he was talking about. Granger snapped her face back to his, eyes wide.

"You … you think I'm beautiful."

"What? No." _Shit,_ Draco thought.

"You just said I was."

"No, I didn't. Let's not stray off topic, shall we. Why were you watching me sleep? A pastime of yours, is it?"

"No, I was just.. I was going to… to," Granger stumbled over her words. But Draco didn't need her to tell him, he could see everything. Her frustration at his lack of help. Her talking to the Weaslette down by the lake. The plan. The kiss.

"You were gonna dress me in a girl's uniform!" he yelled, standing over her. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

' _She's fucking crazy. All this because I wouldn't help with Head's duties',_ he thought.

"I am not crazy!"

"You are if you'll do all this far for nothing."

"You're lucky I haven't gone to McGonagall!"

"Oh, that's rich. Let's see what McGonagall has to say when she hears about her golden girl resorting to blackmail"

' _Ooo, I hate him,'_ he heard her say in her head.

"The feelings mutual, Princess," he said, smirking at her.

"How are you doing that? How am I able to hear you and you me? What did you mean early when you said something about a bond? Why did light surround us when we kissed? Why did you kiss me to begin with?"

"Slow down," Draco said covering her mouth. "One question at a time, Princess."

' _Stop calling me Princess!'_ she yelled at him and he winced the sound echoing loud in his head.

"How about we keep the yelling to a minimum, yea. I feel a headache coming on."

"Answer my questions," she said pushing his hand off of her mouth.

Draco sighed. Why did it have to be her of all people? Why did she have to be his mate?

"Mate?" Granger asked confused. "Mate for what?"

"Well, that's not annoying already," Draco sneered. "Sit down and I'll tell you."

Granger sat back down on the sofa and Draco walked over and sat down on the sofa across from her. He needed to put physical space between them. He wasn't used to talking about his private life and he felt he needed a small buffer, if only to feel a bit more comfortable. He always kept certain parts of his life private and for good reason. People were cruel and took advantage where they saw weakness. It was one of the reasons he never let himself close to anyone. If his father taught him anything it was that it was always the once closest to you that hurt you the most. He took a deep breath before he began.

"I'm a Veela, all the men in my family are-"

"I thought Veela were women. I haven't read one source that sites Veela men-"

"Must you be an insufferable know it all in every situation," Draco said shaking his head, slightly bemused. "First, not everything comes from a book. The written is not always truest word. Facts, can be changed to suit those with most power. Second, I'm not obligated to tell you a damn thing so shut it or I will. Am I clear?"

Granger crossed her arms over her chest in a huff. Draco could hear her grumbling in her mind. Words like 'bastard' and 'asshole', coming through very clearly.

"I said am I clear, Princess?"

"Crystal"

"Good. Now, as I was saying, for as far back as the line of Malfoy goes, all them men were Veela. Veela men do exist, how else do you think the species even exists? You cannot have the female without the male. However, as time wore on the two, although counterparts, were like oil and water. Veela males are very monogamous and they expect their females to be the same, in fact it's more of a necessity than an expectation. If our mate is unfaithful, we die an excruciating death."

He stopped when he heard her gasp. " _That's horrible,"_ echoed back to him.

"It is horrible. Which is why Veela men and women do not work together. The female is not bound to her mate in the same way. She is free to seduce and sleep with as many males as she pleases, for it is solely with her that the species propagates. An annoying catch-22 more than anything. Veela men became a rarity and were very close to extinction. So, as Veela evolved, a slight mutation set in. We now can only find mates amongst humans, magic and muggle kind alike, and for the men once they have 'claimed' their chosen one, they are bound together for life. The initial kiss that marks them as a chosen pair initiates the bond but it's an open bond and the wedding vows seal the bond. Now, due to your proclivity for fondling innocent men in their sleep, we are now a bonded pair."

"I was not fondling you!" Granger cried, indignantly.

"You were going to remove my clothes. Were you not?"

That pretty blushed blossomed over her face once more. _She really is beautiful... Stop it! Stop acting like a besotted idiot,_ Draco reprimanded himself. He had to actively occlude his mind, lest she hear him once again. For once, he thanked the Gods up high that his Uncle Severus taught him the skill.

"I … well… that is not what's important at the moment." she replied, flippantly dismissing his question with her hand. "How is it I have no say in the matter? You kiss me and then we are bonded for life? That doesn't seem right."

"You did have a say in the matter. When I kissed you, you did not have to accept the kiss. You could have pushed me away and that would have been the end of it for you."

Even if he couldn't already hear what she was thinking, he could have guessed. Her emotions played out across her expressive face visible to all her look upon her. He could see realisation spark across her features, then confusion.

"What do you mean it would have been the end of it for me? Does that not include you?"

Draco nodded. "A veela only gets one mate. If you had rejected me, I would have been cursed to live a life filled with excruciating pain until I eventually withered away and died."

"That's awful! That's not a choice. Who would ever let someone suffer that fate?"

"Did you know at the time that would happen to me if you didn't accept my kiss?"

"Well, no-"

"Exactly, not everyone knows about our rituals or our ways. You yourself said you didn't even know Veela men existed. It is for this reason that we hide who we are. Human men used to take advantage of this knowledge by raping and/ or killing our mates, without which we are left to die and our fortunes pillaged." Draco paused, staring into the fire. "We do not tell our intended of the consequences of their rejection for we want it to be their choice."

"So, what now? I'm just supposed to marry you and live happily ever after. We don't even like each other, far from it actually."

"What do you want me to say? I'm just as disgusted as you are. You think I want to spend the rest of my life bonded to a bossy flat chested know it all. I just wanted to a simple last year and even that's been taken from me-"

Draco turned back to face Hermione and halting his angry rant when he saw the look on her face. Tears streamed down her face. He felt a sharp pang in his chest, a need to go over to her and comfort her. To wipe away the tears.

"Granger, I-"

"Fuck you, Malfoy!" she screamed, getting up from the sofa and running out of the common room.

Why is it that he always ended up feeling like a dick at the end of their interactions?

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day Draco woke feeling less than stellar. His head hurt, a reward after drinking so much yesterday. He was tired from waiting up for Granger to return to the common room, she never did. He rose out of bed and hopped in the shower, letting the spray relax away some of his tight and aching muscles. He felt like he had been run over by the Knight Bus. He spent most of last night after Granger left thinking over what his ancestor had told him. Granger was the key to his salvation…

Draco had always admired Granger. She was strong, fierce, and loyal. All things he had desired in a witch. The war hadn't been kind to her and he knew that better than anyone. He had been forced to watch her tortured at the hands of his aunt. At the time he felt this need to protect her, to kill his Aunt for what she had done. He didn't understand it but he almost acted on it. If his mother hadn't held him back, he would have probably rushed to help Granger and died for his betrayal. Instead he settled, with forcing himself to watch. Even as his parents turned away, he kept his eyes on Granger. Hoping that it brought some measure of comfort and knowing he would be forced to live with the image of her bloodied and tortured body for the rest of his life. Knowing what he knew now, he understood that his inner veela had recognized its mate and wanted to protect her.

Why Granger? Of all the women in the world, why her? Draco wasn't as prejudiced as most people like to believe. He stopped buying into his father's rhetoric in his sixth year when the Dark Lord had threaten to rape, torture and kill his mother if he failed to kill Dumbledore. Living with that guilt and anger for an entire year, was more than enough to make him rethink all his father had taught him. The Dark Lord was of his rocker and his father was mad enough to follow him. He was coward that bet on the wrong Hippogriff. So, Granger's blood status did not bother him in the least, if anything it was a point in her favor. A big fuck you to his dad. The look on his father's face when he found out, would be priceless. Not for the first time, Draco was happy his dad was in the Azkaban because there would be hell to pay if it ever got his hands on Granger.

Draco shook his head. He didn't deserve her. She deserved someone better, someone who had their shit together, someone who wasn't afraid to be close to another person, someone who that wasn't broken, someone that wasn't him.

Draco finally stepped out of the shower, dressed and made his way down to the Great Hall.

"What the hell happened to you, mate," Theo said, as Draco sat down. "You look like you got into a fight with a troll and lost."

"Piss off," Draco said, taking a swig of his pumpkin juice and working desperately to keep it down.

"Cheerful as ever, I see," Blaise said, smirking. "All that drinking's caught up to ya."

"You know if you had a stash you could have invited us for a drink instead of hogging it for yourself," Theo said.

Draco glared at him. "Isn't that Astoria I see walking over?"

"Where?" Theo said, turning from one direction to other trying to find her, whilst also trying to duck under that table.

"Oh, I must have been mistaken. My bad," Draco smirked down at him; Blaise laughing to his right.

"That's not funny, tosser"

"Oh, I beg to differ," Blaise said chuckling.

"Speaking of crazy women, where's yours, Blaise," Theo said smirking.

"You better watch it, mate," Blaise said.

"What?" Theo replied, hands in the hair belying his supposed innocence.

"She is in the library working on an assignment. Something I'm sure you know nothing about," Blaise said.

"Never said I did. Why spend all your time in the library? It's such a waste, especially when we have so many delectable beauties at our fingertips."

"Will you two shut it," Draco said, grinding his fingertips into his temples and getting up from the table. He wasn't going to be able to keep anything down so there was no point in him sitting there. As he was walking out, he saw Weasley walking swiftly toward him, anger marring his face. His sister and Potter, chasing after him.

"What the hell's gotten into the Weasley?" Theo asked Blaise and Draco.

Before either could respond, Weasley had reached them and grabbed Draco by the front of his shirt.

"What did you do to Hermione, Ferret?"

"Back to this again, Weasley. Didn't you learn on the train?" Draco said.

"Hermione spent all last night crying. She wouldn't tell us what happened but I know it had something to do with you. It always does."

"As flattering as it is that you think I'm the center of the universe, I would like for you to get your hands off me."

"Ron!" Potter said, finally catching up and out of breath. "Let Malfoy go!"

"I would listen to you friend, Weasley."

"Shut up, Malfoy! You're not helping," the Weasley girl said, then turning her gaze to her brother. "Ron, Hermione would not want you to do this. Please let Malfoy go. You're going to get yourself into trouble."

"Fine," Ron said, letting go of Malfoy. "But if I find out that you did something to hurt Hermione, I _will_ be back."

"You're not as threatening as you think, Weasley. I find it hard to be intimidated by someone who can't tell their wand from their own cock," Malfoy sneered.

"Ron, No!" Malfoy heard Granger scream. ' _Where the hell did she come from?'_ , he thought right before Weasley hauled off and punched him in the face.

Draco staggered back barely having time to recover before Weasley attacked him with punch after punch.

Draco smiled cruelly in Ron's face, wiping the blood off his lip. "Is that all you got, Weasley?"

Draco could see Potter and Blaise trying to hold Weasley back. Granger jumped in as well trying to get Weasley to back off but he pushed her and she fell back hitting her head against the wall. Draco saw her touch the back of her head, moaning and pulled her hand away shining with blood. Something snapped in Draco's mind and a ferocity he had never known overtook his body. He grabbed Weasley by his throat and threw his body down on the ground, crouching over his prone form. He began smashing his fist over and over into Weasley's face.

"Malfoy stop!" he heard her call to him but he didn't.

He could feel the guys trying to tear him away from Weasley but he overpowered them all with single minded drive to kill the one that harmed his mate.

' _Draco!'_ Her voice echoed in his mind and his fist froze in mid air. ' _Please stop,'_ she whined. He stood up and walked over to her. He crouched down where she had fallen on the floor and picked her up in his arms. She protested but he ignored her. He left the group of the friends behind, all staring after them in complete shock, as he carried her off to the hospital wing.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please Review!


	5. Chapter 5

Hi All,

I have another chapter for you guys courtesy of my nemesis, procrastination. I should be writing an essay that happens to be due in four days but instead I am feeding my addiction for writing and reading fan-fiction. Aww, I can feel an all nighter coming on soon. Anyway, enough of my grumbling.

Side-note: Sorry if the plot seems a bit stagnate at the moment. I am still trying to lay the foundation for Draco and Hermione's budding relationship but after this chapter I am done with foundation and on to plot and romance. I am super excited about where I plan to take this story. I hope you stick around because it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Enjoy!

-DaeunMalfoy1989

* * *

Chapter 5: Shades of Grey

Hermione ran from Draco and found her way to the outside of the Gryffindor common room. She stopped at the portrait door and stood there contemplating whether or not she should even go in. She knew she looked a fright, with tears streaming down her face. Maybe she had overreacted. Malfoy had said worse things to her since first year. But for some reason this felt different.

Hermione consider herself average when it came to looks. She never was one to take too much care in her appearance. The most she did was make sure her clothes weren't wrinkled. She had tried over the years to tame down the impossible mane that was her hair, there was only so much she could do. Sleekeazy worked for special occasions but to put that on her hair everyday was a task she wasn't willing to undertake. When she heard Malfoy say she was beautiful, it shocked her. She had only been told once in her life by a boy that she was beautiful and that was in fourth year by Victor Krum. It was a moment she would never forget. That night was her fairytale come true until Ron spoiled it with his hissy fit.

Hermione had convinced herself that she didn't much care what boys thought of her, that she wanted someone who loved who she was on the inside. But really that was her insecurities slipping through. True, she did want someone who appreciated her for her intellect and personality but she also wanted to feel desired. She had once watch a film with her cousin; the entire film was built around this impossible attraction between a married man and his soon to be mistress. The film was cheesy in every way but she couldn't get the look of wanton lust and desire the man had every time he looked at the woman out of her head. It was a look that she had seen given many times over the years.

Growing up in a school with pubescent teenagers, all one had to do was look to see how most boys looked at the girls, herself not included. Boys saw Hermione, and they just saw one of the Golden Trio or the Head Girl, at most they wanted tutoring or a study partner. Now, after the war, with Hermione closing herself off to everyone, she'd thrown out all possibility of dating. Her and Ron had given it a go but they didn't work out; they were too different. They fought all the time, it was too tiring being with him and Ron didn't look at her like she was the only person in the world, like Harry looked at Ginny or Mr. Weasley looked at Mrs. Weasley.

She and Ron had sex once and it was the most horrible experience she had ever had. She felt no connection to Ron; the entire time she just kept telling herself to get through it. Once it was over, she left and broke down in the bathroom under a stream of water in the shower. Ron didn't understand why she distanced herself after that but she couldn't help it. They eventually broke away from each other because she shied away from his touch and he wanted intimacy, intimacy he was happy to seek between the thighs of his many adoring fans. He never said it but she knew he resented her for he way she ended things, but she ignored it and pretended that everything was how it was before they had begun dating; they were friends.

The prospect of dating after Ron scared her to no end. Who would want someone with as much baggage as she had? She was broken, she knew that, not many would endure the nightmares, panic attacks, paranoia, and sudden bouts of sadness she was prone to. She just wanted to feel like she was worthy of love or even a chance at a normal life.

Hermione wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of being Malfoy's mate but it wasn't unwanted either. She could do worse than a handsome man like Malfoy. Yea, he was sarcastic and rude but he had his moments. He had yet to call her out her name or demean her blood status. Not that it warranted a stamp of approval but it was an improvement. It showed that maybe he had changed. Then he said what he did and he hurt her in an entirely different way than he used to. Being called a Mudblood, she could dismiss as bigotry. But Malfoy's casual dismissal of her looks hurt her more than she thought it should.

Gods, why was this happening to her? She came back to Hogwarts to forget, to pretend that she could go back to a time before the war. She had thrown herself firmly into her work and, although she was lucky if she got more than 5 hours sleep, she felt better. Even her willingness to go along with Ginny's ludacris plan spoke volumes. Hermione had always been one for keeping to the rules laid out before her but for some reason when it came to Harry and now Malfoy she couldn't keep to her rigid rules of conduct. With Harry it was more about survival than anything, but with Malfoy… he just got under her skin in a way that no one else could. A well timed insult from him and her whole world fell under a haze of anger that would set her off and have her doing things she wouldn't normally do, like the time she punched him in third year. The plan to blackmail Malfoy was a bit extreme, yes, but in a way it was good distraction away from her thoughts. Hermione had thought living with Malfoy would bring up all sorts of unwanted memories but in fact she had spent most of her time being so angry with him or trying to track him down that she had little time to dwell on her thoughts or the past.

She no longer felt hatred toward him. Now, she felt annoyance more than anything. She could see herself in like with him but in love… that seemed like a stretch. They were stuck together now whether they liked it or not. She could see them growing to be friends or even companions but lovers… Was that enough, a life a companionship? He was her 'ever after', but would he be her 'happily ever after'?

"Hermione?"

Abruptly pulled from her train of thought, Hermione twirled around, wand at the ready.

"Easy, it's just me," Ginny said, holding her hands up in surrender.

"Oh. Sorry," Hermione said, putting her wand back into the sleeve of her robes.

"Why are you standing outside the common room? Is everything okay?" Ginny asked, concern coloring her voice.

"No, everything's not okay," Hermione said, her voice breaking and fresh tears welling up in her eyes. "Everything's gone to shit and I don't know what to do or how to feel."

Hermione let her tears flow once more. Everyone thought she was so strong, so held together, but she was tired of keeping it together. She rarely let people see her vulnerable. Her friends didn't even know about the nightmares. Hermione felt Ginny's arms wrap around her.

"Did Malfoy find out about the plan? Did he do something to you?"

Hermione shook her head no, finding it hard to speak through the tears. She wanted to scream until her throat was raw, to curse the Gods for turning her life into one rollercoaster after another. Right when she thought peace was near, it was snatched away. How could she live her life tied to a man she didn't love?

"Shhhh, it's okay," Ginny whispered into her hair, rubbing circles on Hermione's back. They stayed that way for a while before Ginny said the password and helped Hermione into the common room. Hermione's tears had subsided. She felt a bit better for the release her tears afforded her. Ginny walked them up the stairs to her room, giving Hermione a change of clothes and leaving her alone in the bathroom to change.

Hermione stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was messier than usual, her face was red and blotchy, her eyes swollen. A headache was setting in and all she wanted to do was sleep. She just hoped that tonight would be a nightmare free night. She didn't want to have to explain to Ginny not only the reason for her tears, but why she woke up screaming in the middle of the night. She could really use the sleep. All she could do was hope and pray that for once the Gods were merciful.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next morning Hermione woke to hushed voices whispering above her. She had her back facing them so they didn't notice that she had woken up.

"She hasn't told me anything. I don't know what happened?" she heard Ginny say.

"She comes to you in tears and you don't find out why?" she heard what sounded like Ron say.

"What did you want me to do, Ron? Force it out of her?" Ginny said sounding very annoyed.

"Don't be stupid. I just meant that -"

"It doesn't matter what you meant. It still stands that she didn't tell why she was crying?"

"This is so unlike her. I haven't seen Hermione cry since sixth year. Did she mention anything to you in last couple of days?" Hermione finally heard Harry chime in.

"No, but there was this thing…," Ginny said trailing off.

"What thing?" Harry replied.

There was a moment of silence before Ginny spoke again.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you." Ginny said reluctantly.

"If it has to do with Hermione, we should know. We just want to help," Harry said.

"Well… Hermione came to me because she was tired of Malfoy not pulling his weight for the Head's duties. So, we came up with a plan. Hermione would catch Malfoy of guard and take some unflattering photos and we would blackmail him with them... Now that I am saying it out loud to you two, I realise that may have been a bit stupid. But at the time it seemed, funny enough." Ginny said.

"A _bit_ stupid. You think that was a bit stupid. Hermione came to you in tears and you think that was a bit stupid!" Ron yelled.

"Calm down, Ron, before you wake her." Harry said. "I agree with Ron, Ginny. You should not have done that. Malfoy has never been one to take threats lightly. We have no idea what he might have done or said to her."

"I realise that now, Harry." Ginny said, sounding exasperated.

"I knew it. I just knew her living with that git was a bad idea." Hermione could hear the anger in Ron's voice. "I'm gonna go find out what that arse did to her."

"Ron, no!" Harry called.

Before Hermione could turn around and pull back the bed curtain, they were gone. She quickly changed into her school robes and ran after them. This was the last thing she needed; Ron and Malfoy fighting, again.

She rushed down the stairs hoping she could make it to the Great Hall in time and that this would be one morning Malfoy would forgo breakfast. She ran down the corridors and halted at the sight before her. Harry and Zabini were actively trying to hold Ron, who kept rushing at Malfoy. Harry must have said something to calm him because he shook Harry and Zabini off of him and stopped charging Malfoy. Hermione sighed in relief and began walking closer to the gathered group. She wanted to give Ron a piece of her mind. She was not his to defend. She could handle herself and she certainly did not need his quick temper to make matters worse. Right before she reached them, she heard Malfoy insult Ron one last time. She saw Ron's face go dark and she knew he had reached his limit.

"Ron, No!" she yelled.

Ron went in on Malfoy, delivering punch after punch. It struck her as odd that Malfoy did not fight back or dodge, he let Ron land hit after hit. What was wrong with him? Hermione ran over to Ron, trying to hold on to his arm. Ron was in such a blind rage that he pushed her back. Hermione stumble, tripping over her feet and fell back smacking her head into the wall. She slid down to rest on the floor, lights dancing across her vision and a blinding pain coursing through her head. She moaned, reaching back and touching the origin of the pain, hoping to soothe it. The back of her head felt wet, when she brought her hand back to look at it she saw blood and gasped. Had she really hit her head that hard?

She heard a loud growl rip through the air as silence fell then chaos followed. She looked back over to the group, shocked to see Malfoy holding Ron down and smashing his fist repeatedly into his face. Malfoy's face was dark with anger. She screamed for him to stop but he didn't listen.

' _She's mine. I will kill you for hurting her!'_

Draco's thought sounded off loudly in her head. Her eyes widened in shock.

' _Draco!'_ she thought back to him, hoping he would listen. She saw his hand freeze mid-punch. ' _Please stop,'_ she begged him.

He turned and stared at her. They kept eye contact for a moment before he released Ron, who had lost consciousness a while ago, and walked over to her. He crouched down beside her, touching her face in a surprisingly intimate gesture before reaching over and scooping her up into his arms. She had little time to protest, though she tried.

' _You might as well settle in because I am not putting you down'_ he said.

Hermione stopped fighting him and crossed her arms over her chest, knowing it would make it harder for him to carry her. She glance over his shoulder, seeing Ginny, Harry, Zabini and Nott all standing there with varying expressions of confusion and shock. She could feel a hot blush creep up her cheek as she looked away. She looked up at Draco to see him smirking down at her, making her blush deeper. She decided to focus her attention directly ahead of her. Based on the route he was taking, she guessed they were walking toward the hospital wing. Ron needed Madame Pomfrey's attentions more than she did.

'Poor Ron', she thought.

Draco scoffed. "Poor Ron, my arse. He deserved what he got."

Hermione glared up at him.

"You shouldn't have insulted him and it would never have escalated the way it did," Hermione said, now annoyed.

"Of course you would take your boyfriend's side," Draco said rolling his eyes.

"He is not my boyfriend," Hermione said with a huff.

"Maybe you should tell him that."

Hermione remained silent, unable to respond. What was she supposed to say? She also thought Ron's behavior was extreme but she chalked it up to his dislike of Malfoy. Her and Ron ended things on a good note. They didn't work but they were friends now; they no longer had feelings for each other, or at least she no longer had feelings for him. Did he still care about her in that way?

Her ruminations were interrupted as they finally arrived at the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey came rushing over to them. She stopped for a microsecond, confused by the scene before her, if the expression on her face was any indicator. She shook off her confusion and jumped into action.

"Set her down over here, Mr. Malfoy," she said, pointing to the bed nearest them. "What's happened?"

"She hit her head against the wall causing it to bleed."

"Oh, dear," the mediwitch murmured to herself.

"It's not that big deal, Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said. "I barely feel it now and I think it's stopped bleeding."

Hermione touched the back of her head to emphasize her words. Her hand came away clean but she could feel the blood drying in her hair.

"I'll be the judge of that young lady," Madame Pomfrey said, starting to perform scanning spells on Hermione's head. "And how did this happen?"

Hermione saw Draco began to speak and cut him off before he could get a word out. "I took a fall down the stairs. Fortunately, Draco happened upon me and was kind enough to help me to the hospital wing."

Madame Pomfrey paused a moment staring suspiciously at Hermione then Draco before continuing her scanning. "Yes, how fortunate. Well, lucky for you you do not have a concussion. You have a minor cut, head wounds normally bleed more than other wounds so not to worry. However, you are suffering from fatigue. I think it best you rest up for today, I will go fetch a Dreamless Sleep Draught to ensure that you get your rest"

"That won't be necessary," Hermione quickly explained. "I am fine. I can rest after classes."

"Young lady, I was not asking your permission. I was simply informing you of what I already planned to do. So, lay back and rest," Madame Pomfrey said before walking off toward her office, a stern expression on her face

Annoyed, Hermione laid back against the pillows on the bed and folded her arms across her chest.

"Pouting doesn't become you, Princess," Draco said taking the seat next to her bed.

Hermione glared at him. "Thanks for your help but you can leave now," she said, shooing him away with her hands.

"I think I'm good where I am thanks," Draco said leaning back in the chair. He studied her for a second before sighing deeply. "I'm sorry," he said finally, shocking Hermione for the second time that day. "I shouldn't have said what I did yesterday. I was just… so angry at the situation and I took it out on you. I didn't mean it."

Hermione sat there for a moment, taking in what he said. "It's fine," she said, giving him a small smile. "It was a shock to us both. I get it."

"Good," he said smiling at her. "I thought I'd have to do a bit more groveling. You're easier than I thought, Princess."

"I'm not easy," she said, annoyed. "I just don't see the point in holding a grudge."

"Whatever you say, Princess," he said, smirking and leaning forward in his chair. "Look, you left before I could finishing explaining everything to you. There is still so much more you need to know. I'll be back after classes so we can finish our talk, alright?"

Hermione nodded her head in understanding as Draco rose from his seat and began walking towards the door. He paused for a moment, looking over his shoulder. "Sleep tight, Princess," he said before walking out of the hospital wing.

Hermione barely had a moment to process their exchange, before Madame Pomfrey returned handing her the Dreamless Sleep Draught. Hermione had always shied away from taking Dreamless Sleep because she didn't want to become addicted to it. She knew that if a good night's sleep was only a potion away she would overuse it. Dreamless Sleep helped take away the dreams but it suppressed the problem and she wanted to learn to get over her fears not push them away.

Ginny and Harry came rushing into the hospital wing with a levitated Ron between them. Madame Pomfrey rushed over to them.

"Oh, dear. What's happened now?" she said.

"Well.. he, umm… well, he," Harry said stumbling over his words, looking towards Ginny for an answer but she just shook her head. How were they supposed to explain away Ron's state?

"No, matter. Please, set him over here," Madame Pomfrey said, directing them to the bed across from Hermione. Ginny spotted Hermione and rushed over to her.

"Are you okay, 'Mione?"

"I'm fine. Just a small cut, no worries."

"Thank Gods. Everything happened so fast, I didn't know what to do," Ginny said sitting down on the edge of Hermione's bed.

"Is Ron okay?" Hermione asked, looking over at Ron's prone form lying in the bed across from her. Madame Pomfrey was busy casting basic diagnostic spells and running to fetch healing salves and potions.

"He'll be fine. Pomfrey'll patch him up," Ginny replied. "So… are we gonna pretend that I didn't just watch Draco Malfoy carry you off in his arms?"

Hermione blushed, hating herself for the reaction. She wasn't ready to tell Ginny everything. Hermione had yet to come to terms with her new status as Draco's mate and she couldn't find it in herself to share that information just yet.

"It's not what you think. Draco was just looking out for himself, as usual. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't caught out by the Headmistress for fighting with Ron by helping me. That's it," Hermione said lying through her teeth. She hated lying to Ginny; they had become so close over the years.

Ginny looked at Hermione, her brow furrowed. "He's Draco now, is he," she said, raising one of her eyebrows in speculation.

Damn! When had she started calling him Draco? She hadn't even noticed the change. Her and Ginny sat for a moment in silence. Ginny waiting for an answering and Hermione refusing to give one because she had no idea what to say.

"'Mione," Ginny said finally sighing. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I just want to know if you're really okay. I know you said you were but excuse me if I find that little hard to believe. I mean you come to me last night in tears and now you're calling Malfoy by his first name after her carried you off earlier. It's a lot to take in and it's not adding up in my head, no matter how hard I think about it. If you tell me everything's okay, I'll let it go… for now."

This was why Hermione loved Ginny so much. She never asked for more than she could give. Hermione could see the concern shining brightly in Ginny's eyes and it tugged at her heart that she couldn't tell Ginny the truth.

"I'm fine, Gin."

"Okay," Ginny said. "I believe you but I can't promise that Harry and Ron will give you the same space but I'll talk to them."

"Thank you," Hermione said, as they both looked over at Harry and Ron. Harry was helping Madame Pomfrey. Ron's face was now clear of blood and his face now a collage of blacks, purples, and yellows. Harry helped Madame Pomfrey spread the salve over his face; she looked up from Ron and over to Hermione.

"Visiting hours are over for you, Miss Granger. Say your goodbyes to Miss Weasley and take your potion," Madame Pomfrey said before turning to Harry. "You should take your leave as well Mr. Potter. I can take it from here."

"But-" Harry began to protest.

"I promise you I am a fully certified mediwitch. I think I can take care of a few cuts and bruises," she said sternly, brooking no argument from Harry.

Harry gave Ron one last glance before making his way over to Hermione and Ginny.

"You okay, 'Mione?"

"I'm fine, Harry."

Harry nodded his head, his expression sad.

"Ron and I will be fine, Harry. I swear," Hermione said, trying to comfort Harry.

"I just… I thought we were done fighting, you know?" Harry said.

"We are done, Harry. The war is over," Ginny said, patting his arm.

"It doesn't feel like it," Harry said dejectedly.

His words breaking Hermione's heart. If anyone deserved a moment's peace, it was Harry. She felt bad that her drama was bleeding over into his life.

"Mr. Potter. Miss Weasley. Please, return to your classes."

Madame Pomfrey's voice rang out, slicing through their collective melancholy.

"Come on, Harry," Ginny said, grabbing him by the arm and looping her through it. "Bye, 'Mione."

"Bye, Gin. Bye, Harry."

Harry gave her a small smile in reply and let himself be led away by Ginny. Hermione could see Ginny whispering to Harry, most likely words of comfort. She envied them their close intimacy. Sighing deeply, she drank the draught Madame Pomfrey had given her and let sleep claim her.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hermione woke feeling more rested than she had in months. It took her eyes a minute to adjust as it was now pitch dark in the hospital wing. How long had she been asleep? She heard movement to her left and turned to see what is was. Draco was asleep in the chair next to her bed, his head resting on an arm he had propped up on the chair. Why was he here? If Madame Pomfrey knew he was here, she would have thrown him out. He must have snuck in. But why? His tall body could barely fit in the chair; he couldn't have been comfortable.

Suddenly he began to move and Hermione quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep again. _What are you doing?_ She asked herself, feeling foolish. She opened her eyes again relieved to see that he was still asleep. She took the time to really look at him. In his sleeping form, he looked different.

Over the years, Hermione noticed that Draco was very aware of his appearance, not just his physical appearance but his facial expressions. He kept his face a constant mask of indifference, except for when he was being cruel, then he donned his infamous smirk. Hermione could never tell what he was thinking at any given time. Even now, it seemed he was more privy to her thoughts than she was to his. It must be exhausting to have to put on airs all the times. It seemed sleep was the only time he could be himself. His face was relaxed and he looked almost boyish, it was a nice change.

Draco began moaning in his sleep. It was soft at first but then grew louder. Hermione quickly looked around the Hospital Wing, hoping that Madame Pomfrey hadn't heard. She quickly grabbed her wand of the nightstand and cast a _Silencio_. She then turned back to Draco, who moans had turned to words.

"Please, stop. Don't hurt her," he moaned out.

 _He's having a nightmare_ , she thought. Hermione leaned over her bed, trying to shake him awake but the moment her hand made contact with his leg, she felt a pull at her navel as the hospital wing fell away from her. She found herself standing in Malfoy Manor. She would never forget this room; it was burned into her memory. She looked around to see that the night of her torture at the hands of Bellatrix was playing out before her, only this time it was different. Hermione still lay on the floor with Bellatrix standing over her, Bellatrix's wand trained at her prone form. This time, however, Draco was being held down on his knees by two death eaters, one of which was his father.

"No, please don't hurt her!" he yelled, pleading to Bellatrix.

"Awww, little Drakie Wakey wants me to spare his mudblood girlfriend. Tell me Draco would you die for her? Die for your betrayal?"

"Yes," he said, surprising Hermione with his conviction. He turned to look up at his father, who refused to meet his eye. "Father, please. She is my mate."

Lucius Malfoy turned to look at his son, his expression indifferent but his eyes shone with anger.

"What would you have me do, Draco? Accept a mudblood into our family? Taint our bloodlines? I will not allow the honourable name of Malfoy to be muddy by the likes of her," he spat.

"You're such a fucking hypocrite!" Draco yelled. "You're not even half as pure as you'd like to believe. You're nothing more than a-"

Before Draco could finish his sentence, his father backhanded him across the face.

"You will _not_ speak to me that way," Lucius hissed at his son. "You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name. You and your mudblood whore. You are no son of mine"

Lucius then turned his wand on his son, speaking the _Crucio_ curse. Hermione watched in horror as Draco's screams tore apart her heart. She rushed over to him, holding onto him as his body writhed from the curse.

"Wake up," she said. "Draco, WAKE UP!"

She felt the pull on her navel again, as she was once again in her bed in the hospital wing gasping for air. She turned to look at Draco, where he sat wide eyed and out of breath. They sat in silence, at first to catch their breath and then because neither knew what to say.

"I have them too," Hermione said, finally breaking the silence.

"What," Draco said, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Nightmares about that day," she said. She felt an unexpected weight lift off her shoulders; she had never told anyone about her nightmares or how much that day still affected her. "I barely sleep most nights. I see her face every night in my dreams and it terrifies me. And right when I think I can forget and move on, I am reminded everyday by my scar. A reminded of how people see me, of how you see me."

Hermione hadn't noticed until she finished talking that tears were streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them away, taking in a deep breath. She didn't know why she told Draco what she did but she felt like it was something she needed to do.

"I don't see you that way. At least not anymore," Draco said, his voice barely above a whisper. She could see his eyes were focused on her arm, the arm that bore her scar. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you. There is not a day that goes by that I don't hate myself for being a coward 'til the very end."

"You don't have to apologize and I don't think you were a coward. I had a lot of time to reflect after the war. I used to blame you, thinking that you could have stopped Bellatrix before she could mark me. You would have died had you helped me or at the very least tortured. I know now that you were as much a victim as I was, probably even more so because at least I had the freedom to stand up for what I believed in. You didn't even have the freedom to learn what it was you believed in. "

"I don't need your misplaced pity," Draco snapped.

"I don't pity you," Hermione said, sighing. He was always so quick to put up his defenses. "I'm just saying that I understand not everything is as black and white as we are taught to believe. There are many different shades of grey."

Draco didn't reply he just sat there staring at her, making Hermione feel uncomfortable.

"So… wasn't there a reason you came to see me," Hermione said, trying to break the awkward tension.

"Right. I came so we could finish our conversation from last night but you never woke up. It's too late now and I wasn't expecting to fall asleep."

"So, you didn't sneak in here?"

"No, why would I?" Draco asked, confused.

"I would've thought that Madame Pomfrey would have thrown you out before curfew."

"Ah," Draco chuckled. "Pomona and I have a bit of an understanding."  
"What does that mean?"

"That's for me to know and you never to find out," he said, winking at her.

 _Such a twat_ , she thought, rolling her eyes.

"Naughty, naughty," Draco said, wagging his finger at her. "You shouldn't call people names, Princess"

"That's rich coming from you and how do you keep doing that?" Hermione said, exasperated. "I feel like you are always hearing me and I never hear your thoughts."

Draco smiled and tapped his temple. "I know occlumency. I can block you from my thoughts but on occasion, like we saw earlier today, some just slip through."

"That's not fair."

"Life's not fair, Princess."

"Truer words were never spoken."

Draco smiled at her, catching her off guard. She had never seen a genuine smile from him before and she liked it.

"Nice to know how much I dazzle you."

Hermione blushed, embarrassed. "If you aren't going to finishing what you were telling me yesterday, can you please leave."

Draco laughed. "As you wish, my lady," he said, standing up from his chair and bowing dramatically to her.

Hermione tried not to smile at his antics but a tiny one spread across her face.

"See you tomorrow, Princess."

"Bye, Draco," Hermione said shaking her head at him.

Draco stopped for a moment to look at her. He looked like he was struggling with something before he said, 'Bye, Hermione' and turned to walk out of the Hospital Wing.

Hermione sat there stunned for a moment before a huge smile broke out over her face. She lay back down in her bed, thinking for the first time since she found out she was Draco's mate, that maybe they had a chance at making it work.

* * *

As always, thank you for reading and please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Hi All,

Thank you for being so patient. This past week has been a pain in the ass. I had a rough draft of my thesis due, an essay due, a mid-semester checkup of all the work I've done, and a midterm. I am amazed I was even able to get this done. Fortunately, Spring Break has begun! Hopefully, I'll be able to crank out more chapters over Spring Break.

Side-note: Thank you to all of you that have reviewed my story. I appreciate the encouragement and the _constructive_ criticism. I emphasized constructive there because I keep getting comments from a guest account that is nowhere near constructive, that I have since deleted due to the nature of the comment; it's one of my biggest pet peeves about reviews, on not just my story but other peoples stories as well. So, let me just say this and I'll never say it again. This is a fan-fiction, meaning I have taken many creative liberties for the purpose of this story. I don't mind comments about not liking my story, to each their own. But don't try to put me down. I love this site because of the community, don't ruin that. So, if you do not like Draco or Draco and Hermione together, DON'T read it.

Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy!

-DaeunMalfoy1989

* * *

Chapter 6: Opening Your Heart

Draco left the hospital wing that night feeling lighter than he had in a long time. The past 24 hours had been the most draining of his life. He spent the time going through stages of emotions - Anger, Denial, Anger again, Melancholy and finally Acceptance. He wasn't exactly chuffed at the idea but he had come to accept that Hermione was his mate. At first it had shocked him, the possessive anger that had swelled in him upon seeing her hurt and bleeding but then as he picked her up and held her in his arms, it felt right. When he was with her just now, it felt right. She brought out this sense of peace within him that he hadn't noticed until she called him by his first name. Hermione never ceased to surprise him.

The next day was thankfully a Saturday. He had all day to try and get to know his mate. He wanted them to build a better foundation than their rocky start. He was different and she needed to know that. He wasn't the privileged racist little prick he used to be; the boy she still thought he was. She had confessed to him that his family played apart in her nightmares and it hurt him to think that she was still hurting because of him and his family. He wanted to change that. They both carried scars because of that night. They were unified in pain. He wanted to move on with his life. For once, he saw a future that didn't seem so bleak. With her in his life, he had a chance at a happy ending. She was not his first choice but then again he had never thought about it before. With all that was happening with the Dark Lord, he had never had the chance to think about who his mate would be. He hadn't thought about it since he was a child. Honestly, he had forgotten about it. It seemed to be background noise compared to all that had happened. But now he could say that he was reasonably happy with his mate. She was beautiful, especially when that lovely blush colored her face. She was intelligent and not afraid to speak her mind. He liked a challenge and Hermione Granger certainly posed one.

Draco walked down the corridor to the hospital wing, only to be intercepted by Pansy.

"Blaise told me what happened yesterday," she said, standing in front of him, blocking his way.

Draco sighed. "Blaise has a big mouth."

"She's your chosen one, isn't she?" Pansy said cocking her head to the side.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't know what you mean but if I were you, I would tread very carefully," Draco said his voice menacingly low.

Pansy searched Draco's face, confused. "You don't remember do you?" she asked, understanding blooming across her face.

"Remember what?"

"What happened last year."  
"A lot of things happened last year that I would be more than happy to forget," he said, visibly irritated. "Why don't you narrow it down for me?"

"The night before the Death Eaters attacked the castle and Dumbledore was killed, you came to me; you were drunk and in tears. You just kept repeating over and over that your 'chosen one' would never want a coward for a mate and how you were weak. I let you sleep it off in my bed and then you woke up the next morning in a tiff and left."

"Wait... I thought we slept together that night."

Pansy smiled, rolling her eyes. "No, we didn't. Is that why you avoided me for so long?"

"It wasn't like it was that far of a reach. I woke up in your bed and I couldn't remember the night before," Draco said with a shrug.

"Well we didn't shag. You just fell asleep. Anyway, that word that you said kept playing in my head. So, I researched it. I found it related back to Veela culture but I didn't find anything on male Veela. So, I let it go but now, I'm not so sure."

"I don't know what's more surprising. That you actually went to library and researched something or that you have the bullocks to confront me about it."

"I'm not scared of you, Draco"

Draco smiled sinisterly down at her, relishing in his ability to make her twitch. "I won't insult you by denying it; we are friends after all. But as you know, I don't take kindly to threats."

"I'm not threatening you. I just want you to stop hiding things from me. Like you said we are friends, but you rarely ever talk to me anymore. I am here for you, Draco. I have been here from the beginning. Why can't you see that?"

"What do you want me to say, Pansy?"

"I want to you to stop being a such a prick and talk to me."

"Fine, you want in on my fucked up world. Then you got it," he said, dragging her into an empty classroom to their left. He locked the door and cast a silencio on the room. He turned around to face Pansy who stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting. Draco closed his eyes, rubbing his temples with his forefingers. He had no one to talk to about what was happening to him. He was so used to going through everything alone. Pansy was right; she had been by his side from birth. She was the closest thing he had to a true friend but he constantly pushed her away from the time they entered into Hogwarts. She held expectations for where their relationship was supposed to go and he didn't feel the same. At first it felt nice to receive attention from the opposite sex but that got old fast. So, he pushed her away. But since she started dating Blaise, she no longer looked at Draco the way she used to, like he'd hung the stars and moon. Her eyes held irritation more than any other emotion. Maybe he should tell her all that he felt, let someone else carry the burden of his emotions for once. Draco took a deep breath.

"Yes," he said, letting out the air he had been holding in. "Granger is my chosen one. As you correctly surmised, I am a Veela, rare as that may be. Up until yesterday Hermione was no more than passing thought in my mind. And now… now, I can't stop thinking about her."

He began pacing the room in agitation. "I have had to watched my family torture countless people over the course of my life, my mate included, while I stood by and did nothing and I am filled with regret because of it. I could have stopped her from being hurt, saved her from all the pain and sadness that currently overwhelms her."

He stopped pacing the floor and leaned against the desk at the center of the room, staring sadly out the window. "And it maddens me to no end to know that I will cause her further pain in the future. She will be treated like shit for being associated with me let alone for marrying me. What happened yesterday was only the tip of the iceberg. She will lose friends and family because of me and she has no choice in the matter. I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing but the one thing that is perfectly clear to me is that I could love her if she lets me."

Draco finished speaking but refused to look at Pansy. He had just laid his heart bare and he couldn't stand to see the look of pity he knew would be on her face. He could feel Pansy's eyes on him. They sat their in silence for a while before she replied.

"Wow," Pansy said letting out a breath.

"That's all you have to say," Draco scoffed, finally turning to look at her. "I'm so glad I poured my heart out to you."

"I'm sorry. That's just a lot to take in," Pany said, before adding. "And as odd as it seems, I think you and Granger make sense."

"Bullshit, you don't even like her."

"No, I don't like her and I don't have to. What matters is that I think you both will get on well enough. Your pretty similar; you're both intelligent, stubborn, egotistical, and infuriatingly annoying. A match made in heaven."

Draco laughed.

"I'm not saying you don't have your work cut out for you because you do. Getting past her idiot friends will be hard enough but she will be worth it, I think."

"She is worth it," Draco said. "If anything, it will be worth it to see the look on scarboy and the weasel's face when they find out."

Pansy shook her head. "You know that eventually you will have to learn to tolerate them if you want to be with Granger, yea? They are her best friends."

Draco frowned. "Well damn, I hadn't actually thought of that."

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Pansy laughed.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Pansy smiled, then her furrowed her eyebrows. Draco could tell that she was thinking carefully about what she would say next. Whether or not he would like what she said, he couldn't tell.

"Draco... I know the war was harder for you than the rest of us. I can't imagine the things you must have seen or even had to do because of the Dark Lord. I just I want you to know it's not your fault," Pansy said, walking closer to Draco and reaching out to touch his arm. "Your father made a wrong choice and you were caught in the middle. All of us, me, Blaise, Theo, hell any Slytherin, can relate to that. I know you've changed, I can see it. You're different. Not as quick to boast or be the center of attention. I have yet to see you bully anyone and I am sure the younger kids are grateful just the same," she smiled trying to break some of the tension. "You keep to yourself most of the time and that's fine but don't let what happened keep you from living your life. It took me along time to understand that and if it weren't Blaise, I think I would still be lost. Maybe Granger can do that for you. Sometimes we just need someone who's not family to tell us it's gonna be okay. And it will be okay. Just … don't push her away, Draco. Don't let your father's actions take this away from you, too."

Draco eyes began to tear up and he quickly blinked the moisture away.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Pansy smiled softly and wrapped her arms around him. The top of her head barely reached his chest but she hugged him tightly just the same, hoping to offer some modicum of comfort.

"Anytime," Pansy said, a bit surprised when he hugged her back. She finally pulled away wiping at the moisture that had pooled in her eyes. "So," she said trying to lighten the mood. "Are you gonna continue to hold me captive in this room all day or are you gonna go see you 'mate'?"

Draco rolled his eyes when Pansy made her eyebrows bounce up and down when she said the word mate.

"I would already be with my mate if someone hadn't stopped me to have a chin wag."

"And yet you're still here chatting with me."

Draco shook his head. "Later, Pansy."

"Draco," he heard her call, as he twisted the doorknob.

"Yea," he said turning his head to face her.

"Don't worry so much. If Granger is your chosen one, then you both were meant to be. Everything will work out in the end, I know it."

Draco smiled at her. "I hope you're right," he said before walking out of the room and once again heading towards the hospital wing.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Draco reached the hospital wing, he heard yelling. As he opened the door the voices became clearer. The voice of Hermione and Weasley were the most prominent ones but Potter and his girlfriend seemed to be present as well.

"Nothings going on, Ron!" he heard Hermione scream.

Draco rubbed his hand down his face. Today was not going to be his day. He braced himself and strode into the room, taking in the scene before him. Hermione, Potter, and Ginny all sat around Weasley's bed. Weasley's face was bright red, as he stared angrily at Hermione who, judging by her face, was not happy with him at the moment. Draco stood hidden from view by the curtain separating Weasley's bed from the occupied bed next to him that Draco now stood in front of. The occupant of said bed was confused as to why Draco stood at the foot of his bed but Draco just looked at him and put his index finger to his lips. The boy nodded his head and went back to eating his breakfast.

"I don't believe you, Hermione. He carried you off in _his arms._ When has Malfoy ever been known to do anything nice for anyone, let alone a Muggleborn? There something fishy going on and I want to know what it is." Weasley demanded.

"If Hermione isn't ready to tell us, then you can't force her, Ron," Ginny said, annoyed with her brother.

"We are her friends. Why is she keeping secrets from us?" Weasley asked in response.

' _Because I'm not ready to tell,'_ Draco heard Hermione think to herself. ' _What would the say if they knew?'_

Guilt blossomed in Draco's stomach. Because of him, Hermione would lose her closest friends.

"Just let it go, Ron," Potter chimed in. "I trust Hermione. If it was something we needed to know she would tell us. I'm tired of fighting."

"This is Malfoy, Harry," Weasley whined. "Even you can't let that go."

"I can actually," Potter said. "We aren't kids anymore, Ron. Malfoy hasn't purposely done anything to us. Both times _you_ provoked him."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. Am I the only sane person in this room?"

He watched as Hermione closed her eyes, clearly annoyed.

"Why can't you just trust me? For the past two weeks, you've done nothing but act like a complete jerk and I'm growing tired of it. You're paranoid about everything, letting your anger get the best of you and I can't stand it. Harry and Ginny let it go, why can't you?" Hermione asked sadly.

"Because this is Malfoy we are talking about. Malfoy. The same guy that has tormented us for years. The same guy who watch as his aunt tortured you. You should hate him. Come on-"

"Don't you dare act like you know what happened that day!" Hermione yelled, standing up from her chair. Draco could feel the anger radiating from her through the bond.

"I was there!"

"No, you weren't. You were tucked away safely in the basement. _I_ was the one that was tortured. _I_ am the one that was scarred. So, don't you dare tell me how _I_ should feel, Ronald Weasley," Hermione said, her chest heaving up and down.

"You don't think I am scarred? My brother is dead! Because of that bastard and his family I don't have a brother, my mother and father lost a son, and George a twin!" Weasley screamed at her.

"You can't blame Draco for Fred's death," Hermione said, Weasley's statement soaking up her anger; she was sad now.

"I thought we weren't going to tell each other how to feel," Ron spat at her. "And if I am being so 'paranoid', why do you keep calling him Draco, eh? On a first name basis with your death eater boyfriend now, are you?"

"Ron-"

"No, I don't want to hear it," Weasley said, shaking his head. "You can keep your secret but when it comes back to bite you in the arse, I'll be there to say I told you so."

Draco stepped from behind the curtain, fed up with the way Weasley was treating his mate.

"You know, Weasley, I already knew you were stupid but I think I'll add giant wanker to the list of charming attributes, as well. I feel sorry for the poor girl you trick into marrying you," Draco said as saw four sets of eyes turn to look at him.

"Draco!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise when she saw him.

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Ron exclaimed.

"Head Boy business I'm afraid," Draco said pretending to examine his nails. "You see yesterday you attacked not only the Head Boy but the Head girl as well. And for that … 100 points from Gryffindor."

"What?! You can't do that!" Ron yelled angrily. "Hermione, tell him he can't do that?"

"Unfortunately for you Weasley, I just did," Draco said, smirking cruelly and highly enjoying himself. "In addition, you will also receive two weeks detention with Filch."

"You bastard-"

"5 points from Gryffindor," Draco said coolly.

"Shut up, Ron," Ginny hissed, smacking him in the arm.

"Ow! Why are you hitting me?"

"As enjoyable as this has been, I need to speak with Granger. Head's Business and all that. Right, Princess." he said, winking at Hermione.

"Did you hear what that bastard just called her?" Ron said, his mouth hanging open.

"5 more points from Gryffindor," Draco said smugly.

"Shut up, Ron!" Ginny yelled, again.

"Are you just gonna stand there staring," Draco said to Hermione. "I don't have all day, Princess."

"Oh, umm right," Hermione said, flustered. "I'll see you lot later then."

Draco waited for her to walked past him then followed after her. He could hear Weasley still talking in angry tones, as he opened the door the hospital wing for Hermione. Right before the door shut behind them he heard Potter yell, "Shut up, Ron! Stop playing the victim and take responsibility for once."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Draco laughed to himself, happy that he still had it in him to ruffle the Weasel's feathers. When he turned to look at Hermione, his laughter caught in his throat. She stood there in the in the middle of the corridor with her arms crossed. He was experiencing a severe episode of Deja Vu and he did not look forward to conversation he was about to have.

"Did you have to do that?" she asked angrily

"Do what?"

"Treat Ron that way. I finally got him to calm down and you come in and get him riled up again."

"You call what I just witnessed calm? He insulted us both and said that he would willing laugh in your face if he could, just to prove he was right. Some friend you have."

"Ron is just… he's-"

"An arse."

"No. Ron is a good friend. He's just struggling to stay afloat like the rest of us are. And you antagonizing him does not help."

"Pulling out the big words are we? I wasn't _antagonizing_ him; I was giving him a punishment that fit the crime. I didn't see you saying no when I took the points or gave him detention."

"I thought the punishment was fine."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Did you have to be so smug about it?"

Draco laughed and shook his head.

"You're funny, you know that?"

"Why?"

Draco didn't answer her. Instead, he started walking toward their common room.

"Are you gonna answer me or not?" Hermione said, jogging after him.

"Hmm," Draco said, pretending like he was taking her question into careful consideration before saying, "Not."

"Ugh, you're annoying. Do you know _that_?" she said.

"Ah, don't pretend like you don't like it, Princess. I dazzle you with my smile, remember?"

Draco looked over at her to see her face color with that lovely blush of hers.

"Yes, I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"What? My dazzling smile?"

"No," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "The mind reading thing. If I'm to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, I would rather not have you listening in on my thoughts whenever you please. I want you to teach my Occlumency."

"And what do I get in return if I do?"

"... the joy of knowing you made your mate happy?"

"No dice, Princess."

"That's not fair."

"Must I repeat myself? Life's not fair."

By now, they had reached the portrait guarding their dorm. Malfoy said the password and walked inside, dropping down on one of the sofas and propping his feet up on the table.

"You know, Draco..." Hermione said, too sweetly prompting Draco to look up at her. The smile on her face sent chills down his spine. "I had a small talk with Madame Pomfrey. You see, she and I are pretty close as well. What with me helping her out after the final battle. She had something very interesting to say about you..."

Draco's heart skipped a beat. He kept his expression calm. She didn't know. She's bluffing.

"Oh?" Draco said, coolly. "And what did Pomona have to say?"

Hermione smirked a dark gleam in her eye.

"That's for me to know and the whole school to find out if you don't teach me Occlumency."

"Back to blackmail are we?"

"Oh, I wouldn't call it that. I see it as more of a mutually beneficial agreement."

"You would have done well in Slytherin," Draco said. "And even though I have never been more attracted to you than in this moment, I'm gonna have to call your bluff."

Hermione blushed again, making Draco smirk.

"Do you really want to take that gamble? Do really want to the whole school to know what happened in fifth year. I think they might take _umbrage_ with the whole situation."

Draco could feel the blood draining out of his face.

"She didn't?" he asked.

"She did. Frankly, I was quite surprised. I mean I knew you were one of Professor Umbridge's favorites but to know the extent of it. Just wow."

"Nothing happened!"

"You know that and I know that. The question is will the school know that. I mean rumors are a vicious thing. Molehills turn into Mountains… I mean who doesn't enjoy a good story. And boy do I have a good one."

Draco narrowed his eyes, anger and curiously pride stirred in his chest.

"Fine. You've won this time, Princess. But trust me it will be the last."

"We'll see," she said grinning from ear to ear.

Two hours later found Draco to be quickly losing his patience and his temper.

"I said to clear your mind!"

"I'm trying. Yelling at me is not helping."

Draco closed his eyes, kneading his temples. For the last two hours, Draco had been trying to teach Hermione to clear her mind. But every time he entered her mind using Legilimens, he was able to enter easily and see all every memory she didn't want him to see. Her mind was constantly active. Maybe the key for her wasn't to clear her mind but to use her overactive mind to her advantage.

"Fine. Let's try a different approach, shall we. You're good with puzzles, yea?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I want you to construct the most elaborate maze you can think of. I want you to put all of your precious memories at the center. Behind each dead end leave less important memories, like false leads. Can you do that?"

"I can try," she said. He could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"Okay, give it a go and let me know when you're ready," he said, closing his eyes, thankful for a break.

Five minutes later he heard her say she was ready.

"Okay," he said opening his eyes once more. " _Legilimens_ "

Draco entered her mind just as easily as the previous times but this go around however he found himself standing at the opening of a giant hedge maze, not unlike the one at the Triwizards Tournament in fourth year. He entered deciding to take a left and followed the maze until he reached a dead end. He saw Hermione studying for an exam in the library. He swelled with pride, so far so good. For the next 15 minutes, he reached dead end after dead end, seeing Hermione doing various mundane activities. He released the legilimens and smiled at her.

"I think you've finally got it, Princess," he said.

Hermione's face broke out into a huge smile before she attacked him with a hug. At first, he sat there awkwardly, still in shock over the fact that she was showing such blatant affection. Then once his brain kicked in her wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.

"Good job, Hermione."

She pulled back from the hug, her face set in a beautiful blush once more. He would never get tired of looking at her. She smiled awkwardly.

"It's getting pretty late," she said. "I should probably head up to bed."

Draco hated that they still felt awkward around each other.

"Okay," he said. "Good night, Princess"

"Good night, Draco."

After they said their goodbye's they each went into their respective room, feeling better than they did at the start of day about their relationship.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

At Breakfast the next morning, Draco received three letters. The first one was from his mother.

 _My Dearest Draco,_

 _I am deeply happy for you, my son. I no longer feel the connection that ties mother to child, so I am to assume that you have found your chosen one and are now a full fledged Veela Male. I congratulate you on finding your mate. A day has passed since our bond dissipated and I've yet to receive a letter from you, I am saddened and disappointed that you did not relay the news to me yourself. So in the spirit of forgiveness, I am extending an invitation to both you and your intended to have dinner with me this coming weekend at the Manner. I will leave it up to you both the choose which day you would like to attend. I will be waiting for your response, Draco._

 _With love,_

 _Narcissa Malfoy_

 _P.S. - This is not a request._

He was not at happy about this one. He could not imagine his mother and Hermione in the same room together. That had disaster written all over it. Hermione hadn't been to the Manor since the night she was tortured. He can't imagine that she would be happy at the prospect of dinner with his mother.

The second letter was from his father. He was tempted to throw it away but he forced himself to open it.

 _Draco,_

 _You have found your mate and for that I congratulate you. I trust she is a proper match for the heir to the house of Malfoy. I am not at liberty to ask to meet her but I would like to request a visit from you._

 _Lucius Malfoy_

Draco could feel his gut twist. He hadn't seen his father since he was first sent to Azkaban. Lucius had requested many times that Draco visit him since his incarceration but each time Draco refused. He didn't want to see his father and listen to his excuses and hate speech. He was done being his father's puppet and it made Draco sick to his stomach just thinking about his father's reaction when he found out who is mate was. He knew that his father would be furious. Draco was happy that his father had no control over his life now and being mated to a muggleborn was just icing on the cauldron cake. But Lucius would not be in prison for long. He was already in the process of lobbying, or more accurately bribing people, for his release. How long before his wrath would no longer be contained by the cells of Azkaban. Hermione was finally coming around to him and now to add his parents to the cauldron… Would it be the straw that broke the hippogriff back?

Draco opened the third letter already knowing what it contained. The bird currently eating the bacon off his plate cemented his conclusion.

 _Draco Lucius Malfoy,_

 _Inmate 458309, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, requests a formal visitation. Please send the attached form back with the owl detailing time and date of visitation. Recipients should know that a visitation will not be authorized without the completion of this form._

 _Regards,_

 _Hagar Davies_

 _Warden of Azkaban Prison_

Draco looked up from the letter and across the Great Hall to the Gryffindor table. Hermione sat laughing with Potter and his girlfriend. Here goes nothing Draco thought.

' _Hermione,'_ he said, opening his mind to her.

She looked over at him and smiled.

' _Yes'_

' _Can you meet me in the owlery in 10 minutes?'_

' _Okay. Is everything okay?"_

' _Fine. I'll see you in ten.'_

Draco closed his mind once more and rose from the table and walked to the owlery, thinking over how he should respond to his father's letter and hoping that Hermione would understand his mother's intentions.

* * *

As always, thank you for reading and please review! :)


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